Submitted by KMU on Wed, 2006/09/13 - 7:00pm.
The militant labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) today expressed apprehensions that the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership
Agreement (JPEPA) will bring more retrenchments, and cheap labor as liberalization on Manila's auto and steel sectors will be made.
KMU Chairperson Elmer Labog said that the although the agreement will increase Japan direct investment in the country, it will continue to import most of their inputs and components from the country, "Moreover, export enclaves which promotes cheap and unorganized labor will proliferate hindering workers' rights to organize."
While cheap labor will be promoted, Labog also said that the iberalization in other aspects of the economy will surely affect
massive retrenchments. Some of these include the elimination or reduction of tariffs on industrial products and agriculture, forestry and fishery products; liberalization of services sectors such as
construction, outsourcing, air transport, health related and social services, tourism and travel-related services, maritime transport services, telecommunications and banking.
Dispute Avoidance and Settlement
The FTA also includes provisions on dispute avoidance and settlement which for Labog will be characterized by the experience of the independent union Toyota Motors Phils Corporation Workers Association (TMPCWA),
TMPCWA started organizing in 1998 and eventually won a certification election in March 2001. On March 16 of the same year, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) affirmed that TMPCWA is the sole and exclusive CBA bargaining agent. However, on the very same day, the company illegally terminated 227 union officers and members.
Despite the decision of the Supreme Court and the recommendations of the International Labor Organisation (ILO), the Toyota management continued to refuse to recognize the union and start a CBA.
The Toyota Philippines case has reached the attention of the international community. The International Metal Federation which represents 25 million metalworkers in more than 200 unions in 100 countries has organized the Sept 12, 2006 Global Day of Action against Toyota.
Toyota Motors Philippines, a Japanese-owned company, continued to garner the lion's share of total sales, cornering 35.55 percent of the local market, "But in spite of its big-profit share in our economy, it has continued to violate the rights of our fellow Filipino workers who make up their wealth."
The approved Japan-Philippine FTA was one of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's agenda in her Europe Trip . Based on the agreement, import tariffs on industrial goods will decrease by 90%
within 10 years, tariff elimination on Japan-made cars by 2010, 60% reduction on tariffs on steel imports, and a year-on-year quota of some 200 Filipino nurses and caregivers were some of the highlights of the bilateral FTA.
The militant labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) today expressed apprehensions that the Japan-Philippines Economic PartnershipAgreement (JPEPA) will bring more retrenchments, and cheap labor as liberalization on Manila's auto and steel sectors will be made.
KMU Chairperson Elmer Labog said that the although the agreement will increase Japan direct investment in the country, it will continue to import most of their inputs and components from the country, "Moreover, export enclaves which promotes cheap and unorganized labor will proliferate hindering workers' rights to organize."
While cheap labor will be promoted, Labog also said that the iberalization in other aspects of the economy will surely affect
massive retrenchments. Some of these include the elimination or reduction of tariffs on industrial products and agriculture, forestry and fishery products; liberalization of services sectors such as
construction, outsourcing, air transport, health related and social services, tourism and travel-related services, maritime transport services, telecommunications and banking.
Dispute Avoidance and Settlement
The FTA also includes provisions on dispute avoidance and settlement which for Labog will be characterized by the experience of the independent union Toyota Motors Phils Corporation Workers Association (TMPCWA),
TMPCWA started organizing in 1998 and eventually won a certification election in March 2001. On March 16 of the same year, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) affirmed that TMPCWA is the sole and exclusive CBA bargaining agent. However, on the very same day, the company illegally terminated 227 union officers and members.
Despite the decision of the Supreme Court and the recommendations of the International Labor Organisation (ILO), the Toyota management continued to refuse to recognize the union and start a CBA.
The Toyota Philippines case has reached the attention of the international community. The International Metal Federation which represents 25 million metalworkers in more than 200 unions in 100 countries has organized the Sept 12, 2006 Global Day of Action against Toyota.
Toyota Motors Philippines, a Japanese-owned company, continued to garner the lion's share of total sales, cornering 35.55 percent of the local market, "But in spite of its big-profit share in our economy, it has continued to violate the rights of our fellow Filipino workers who make up their wealth."
The approved Japan-Philippine FTA was one of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's agenda in her Europe Trip . Based on the agreement, import tariffs on industrial goods will decrease by 90%
within 10 years, tariff elimination on Japan-made cars by 2010, 60% reduction on tariffs on steel imports, and a year-on-year quota of some 200 Filipino nurses and caregivers were some of the highlights of the bilateral FTA.
