Labor center expresses alarm over series of retrenchments at the beginning of new year

THE Labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) today expressed alarm and called the attention of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) about the series of retrencments affecting thousands of workers nationwide just as the new year has only started.

“ It is very alarming that only almost two weeks after the new year has started that thousands of workers were retrenched and that the Arroyo government particularly the DOLE is not doing significant about it. We all know that 2008 is the Year of the Rat, but does it mean that the government will make the workers’ lives miserable with their sheer apathy and negligence?, KMU Spokesperson Prestoline Suyat asked.

Suyat cited the case of the 800 employees of the Philippine Skyway Corp. (PSC) who were issued walking papers effective Jan. 31, the termination of services of about 500 workers at the banana plantation owned by Lapanday Foods Corporation in Hagonoy, Davao del Sur starting February and about 1,200 workers of Franklin Baker Dessicated Coconut Company who will become jobless as the 83-year old factory in San Pablo City will close down by the end of the year.

“ Losing jobs at a time when workers are confronted with increasing prices of basic commodities, unstoppable oil price hikes and the upcoming raise of water and power rates are like being meted of a death penalty, though such death will be slower, harder and therefore very inhuman. It is also disheartening to know that thousands more will suffer because it is a fact that these workers are the breadwinners of their families” Suyat said.

On the other hand, the labor leader also supported the call of terminated employees of Philippine Skyway Corporation to hold liable the Philippine National Construction Corporation (PNCC) for defying the return to work order issued by DOLE. The PSC is a subsidiary of PNCC.

“ The employees of PSC are correct on its assertion that when workers go on strike and defy the return to work order of the labor department they are immediately terminated on supposedly conducting an illegal strike but when a company is the one which refused to do so, the DOLE secretary does not even lift a finger to reprimand or punish the erring corporation. To add insult to injury, what Labor Secretary Arturo Brion has only done was to order DOLE National Capital Region office, through Regional Director Rey Agravante, and announced that the Adjustment Measures Program is ready to help PNCC workers who already want to avail of its benefits. It is very clear that what the workers demand for are their immediate reinstatement to their former jobs and not dole outs from the labor department,” Suyat said.