ILO High-Level Mission in CALABARZON: “Men in full battle gear man production lines”

A woman worker from Japanese-owned Sun Ever Light electronics company recalled how fully-armed elements of the Special Warfare Actions Group (SWAG) kept eye on union leaders and active members in the production lines in 2004.

The Sun Ever Light labor issue is one of the cases brought to the attention of the ILO High Level Mission in a forum held in an undisclosed area in the region today. At least 15 workers presented their cases focusing mainly on the “no union, no strike” policy in most export processing zones (EPZs) and violation of civil liberties in connection with the freedom of association such as extrajudicial killings, abduction, harassment, surveillances and intimidation. PAMANTIK=KMU presented cases of affiliate unions as well as independent ones.

“Sa utos ng Japanese manager, ang mga SWAG na ito, kasama ang mga pulis PEZA at gwardya, ang nandahas sa aming mga kababaihang manggagawa noong Nobyembre 30 hanggang Disyembre 1, 2004. Pinaghihipuan kami at pinaglalambat na parang mga hayup. Nagpataw sila ng food blockade at ginutom kami sa loob ng 33 oras (On the orders of the Japanese manager, these SWAG men, together with PEZA police and company guards, would attack us women workers on November 30 till December 1, 2004. They sexually harassed us and tried to catch us in nets as if we’re animals. They enforced a food blockade and starved us for 33 hours),” recounted teary-eyed Joycee Rosales, one of the union members.

“Ganyan po ipinagbabawal ang pag-uunyon sa mga EPZ (This is how unions are prohibited in EPZs).”

While only two SWAG elements remained in the company and acts as security guards now, the management has succeeded in instilling fear on the workers and busted the union.

Normelita Galon, union president of the Korean-owned Phils Jeon Garments vividly testified of her traumatic ordeal while on strike:

“Me and another worker were taking our rest one night in our picketline in the Cavite Export Processing Zone (CEPZ) when unidentified men forcibly gagged and blindfolded us with packaging tape. They destroyed our makeshift picketline and then carried us to their vehicles. I sensed that we passed by unchecked in the usually strict security gates. They dumped us on a muddy and garbage lot outside the zone. The incident sowed fear among us and the rest of the striking workers.”

According to PAMANTIK spokesperson Hermie Marasigan, “It is in the EPZs in CALABARZON where the unwritten ‘no union, no strike’ policy was developed and being perfected in combination with repressive political measures by government agencies and units’ interference partial to the interests of investors and business.”

Extra-judicial killings

Luz Fortuna, widow of slain PAMANTIK-KMU chairperson and Nestle union president Diosdado Fortuna, firmly stated, “I seek justice for my husband. I am certain of Nestle and the government’s hand in my husband’s death and the death of the former Nestle union president Meliton Roxas”.

Unidentified men murdered Diosdado Fortuna on September 22, 2005 while on his way home from their picketline in Nestle Philippines Cabuyao. The Nestle workers were also on strike in 1988 when union president Meliton Roxas was assassinated in front of the company gates. Both cases remain unresolved to this day.

Co-workers of slain Cavite labor leaders and EMI-Yazaki union officers Jesus Servida and Gerardo Cristobal also testified before the ILO Mission panel.

One of the survivors in the Servida assassination showed his bullet scars to the ILO High Level Mission Team.  Stunned, the mission team took photos of the victim’s scars.

“The families filed complaints to the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) but no investigation was conducted,” said EMI-Yazaki union officer.

Continuing vilification and criminalization campaigns

“Because capitalists have strong influence over the Philippine judicial system, trumped-up criminal offenses can be charged easily against workers,” stated Noel Alemania, acting Nestle union president.

Alemania reported, “More than 250 members of Nestle union had been slapped with an average of 37 criminal charges in the course of the almost 8-year strike. Striking workers, and their children or even persons bearing the same family name, are not issued NBI clearances and are blacklisted from getting employment locally and abroad.”

Romeo Legaspi, PAMANTIK-KMU chairperson also aired his complaint to the ILO Panel, “After chasing me several times in the previous years and failed attempts to assassinate me, 72 persons, including us labor leaders, have been charged of ‘multiple murder, multiple frustrated murder and attempted murder’ in various courts since October 2008, implicating us in an alleged activity of the New People’s Army.”

Death in jail

In a related incident, one of the incarcerated “Karnation 20” workers died yesterday after languishing in a heavily-congested 16-square meter jail for more than two years.  Leo Paro, 25 years old, is second to die in prison after his co-accused employee passed away from tuberculosis in 2008.

The “Karnation 20” were employed in a home decors exporting company before being arrested and detained on May 10, 2007 on charges of “serious illegal detention and grave coercion” after staging a picket in protest of illegal dismissal and non-payment of 13th month pay and other benefits.  KMU Chief Legal Counsel Atty. Remigio Saladero, Jr. presented their case to the ILO High Level Mission on September 23. The mission team can only shake their heads in disbelief upon hearing the story.

Optimism

In conclusion of the forum, Legaspi said, “We are hopeful the ILO will help bring these cases up to those responsible and seriously resolve these issues once and for all. As long as there are cases violating workers’ rights, we will always call the attention of the ILO, among other measures, to seek justice for aggrieved workers.” #