More than 200 contractual workers cried foul when forced to sign end contract by Hanjin Garments Incorporated, a Korean-owned exporting company in Cabuyao, Laguna. Hanjin produces and exports to United States blazers, cocktail dresses, and pants, including branded Mossimo teen pants and shorts.

The 200 workers received their respective notices for end of contract on January 14. Four days after, on January 18, they filed a notice of strike to the National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB-Region IVA).

Korean nationals Jeong Kee Min and Mak Rae Min own Hanjin Garments, employing more than 1,000 contractual workers.

“They fired us for the mere suspicion and simple reason that we are trying to form a union,” said in Filipino by Christopher Capistrano, vice-president of independent union Aniban ng Manggagawang Inaapi sa Hanjin Garments (AMIHAN) and one among those terminated.

“Panahon na para ipaglaban namin ang aming karapatan upang maging regular na manggagawa. Mula nang mag-operate ang Hanjin, labindalawang taon namin tiniis ang pagiging kontraktwal. Kung kaya, wala kaming ibang nakikitang solusyon dito kundi ang mag-unyon at ipaglaban ang aming makatwirang interes. (It’s high time that we fight for our rights to become regular workers. We bore the brunt of being contractual workers for 12 years, since the company operated. It is in this situation that we see no other solution but to unionize and fight for our legitimate interests.),” explained Capistrano.

Capistrano reported that sewers who have been in service to the company for five months to one year receive only P160 daily wage, while one year and above receive P260.

The DOLE-mandated daily wage for Cabuyao is P282.

“It still depends if you can get that daily P160 wage. If some sewers don’t reach the prescribed production quota or in cases of re-work items, they get to render their overtime services to Hanjin for free,” explained Capistrano.

Aside from the demand for regularization, Hanjin workers also complained of poor working conditions, non-payment of leaves, and irregular SSS and Pag-Ibig remittance.

“The company also deducts P10 during paydays. We are also forced to sign 2 payslips, one of which we are not allowed to see the content,” said Capistrano.

Meanwhile, the militant Pagkakaisa ng Manggagawa sa Timog Katagalugan (PAMANTIK-KMU) expressed solidarity to the Hanjin workers.

“We have seen the worse of these Korean-owned companies exploiting workers from Fashion House Garments, Chong Won, Phils Joen, and now with Hanjin Garments. And yet, the government of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo which promised employment generation by the millions has done nothing for the cause of these workers,” said Romeo Legaspi, chairman of PAMANTIK-KMU.

“What we see and experience is the massacre of regular jobs by these foreign capitalists and the Arroyo government. Even the contractual employment has been deprived us for the mere suspicion that we are forming a union, as if unionism is a terrorist activity.”

“The Hanjin workers’ struggle represents the plight of contractual workers. The only way for regularization is thru collective action, thru unionism. And thru this concerted actions, we prepare for strike which is our main weapon in achieving our purpose of regularization,” concluded Legaspi.