On the Labor Secretary nomination to the Supreme Court: Good riddance for the department, bad omen for the Supreme Court – KMU

The Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) Labor Center said today that the possible transfer of Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) chief Arturo Brion to the Supreme Court (SC) is “good riddance” for the department but is definitely an ominous sign for the highest court in the land. Brion was nominated by Associate Justice Renato Corona.

“Despite a very short stint in the labor department, Brion has shown his consistent anti-worker posture, while taking on an unswerving support for capitalist cause on many labor issues like that of the legislated wage hike. Even before the Barinaga-Beltran Bill seeking for a Php 125 legislated wage hike reached the Senate, Brion already made his vehement opposition to it and to any legislated wage hike, this despite the growing number of Filipinos going hungry due to extreme poverty,” said Elmer “Ka Bong” Labog, National Chairperson of the KMU.

According to Labog even the employees of the department are facing labor issues because Brion refuses to implement the Collective Negotiation Agreement between the workers and the department.

The labor leader also warned that having a justice with a clear bias for employers would serve as a big blow against the various labor disputes filed by the workers in the SC. “The few favorable decisions of the SC for the workers are now in danger of being reduced to nil if Brion’s transfer will push through,” clarified Labog. He mentioned that despite the decision of the SC on the cases of the Toyota Philippines workers and the Honda Philippines workers favoring the union, the decision remains to be implemented.