KMU condemns pro-Noynoy groups’ pro-contractualization bill

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28 April 2011

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Labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno condemned Akbayan Partylist and Alliance of Progressive Labor for helping legitimize the widespread contractualization schemes in the country with their security of tenure bill and for promoting illusions that the Aquino government can still be pro-labor.

The groups’ security of tenure bill claims that it recognizes subscontracting as a “valid business practice but also protects workers from unscrupulous and unnecessary subcontracting.”

“Akbayan and APL are upholding subcontracting while paying lip service to protecting workers and claiming that this effort will end subcontracting altogether. Their bill is music to the ears of the anti-worker Aquino government and big foreign and local capitalists, despite the feigned opposition of the latter,” said Roger Soluta, KMU secretary-general.

“The real problem here, the real bane to the Filipino workers and people, is subcontracting itself and not the lack of protection from subcontracting. It may be a ‘valid business practice’ for capitalists but is far from valid for the Filipino workers and people,” he added.

“How can subcontracting and other flexible work arrangements be anywhere near valid for the Filipino workers and people when these press down workers’ wages, attack job security, and violate workers’ rights whole-scale?” he asked.

KMU also criticized APL secretary-general Joshua Mata’s statement that President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III’s support for the said bill “will be a good signal” that the president “is pro-labor.”

“President Aquino has already been tried and found wanting by the Filipino workers and people. We have had enough signals from President Aquino that he is anti-worker and a stooge of big foreign and local capitalists. We are not groping for pro-labor signals from him anymore,” Soluta said.

“With this statement, Joshua Mata is spreading the illusion that President Aquino can still be pro-labor. A genuine labor leader should be condemning the president now, for the latter has failed to do anything that will at least give immediate economic relief to the Filipino workers and people who are suffering from hunger and poverty,” he added.

“On the other hand, President Aquino has continuously guaranteed that capitalists’ huge profits from investing in the country will continue to grow – even if that also means allowing the continued implementation of subcontracting schemes,” he said.

Reference Person:

Roger Soluta, KMU secretary-general

Campaign:

Kabuhayan at Katarungang Panlipunan, Ipaglaban!

Contact information:

0928-7215313

Comments

#1 I'm sorry to say that when we

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 2011/05/02 - 9:18am.

I'm sorry to say that when we hear the group, KMU, it connotes hard line protesters against almost any company in the Philippines. I heard companies closed in the past due to the interference of KMU groups to the sad fate of the laborers in the long run. What I suggest for you to fight for (aside from increase in salaries) is to fight against contractualization of the big malls like SM and Robinsons. The poor sales girls and baggers have to apply for another job every time their contract expires after 5 (or 6 months?). These companies do this to avoid absorbing the contractuals to become regular employees thus prevent them from paying SSS, medical insurance and other benefits. I think this is against our labor laws which is unfair labor practice. I am surprised why you are not fighting for this noble cause.

#2 Hi! Thanks for visiting our

Submitted by KMU on Mon, 2011/05/02 - 4:05pm.

Hi! Thanks for visiting our website. We wish to clear our side. We are not hard line protesters against almost "any company in the Philippines." We also demand the protection of small entrepreneurs and businesses. They also suffer from the government's poor economic policies. We wish to clarify that they are forced to close down not because of increasing their workers' wages but because they were not given priority by our government to develop. They can't compete with big foreign and local corporations.

But yes, we are hard line protesters against any exploitation on the workers and people. We are hard line protesters against "big capitalists" who only want superprofits which they can acquire by exploiting their workers through pressing down wages, implementing contractualization and other labor flexibilization schemes.

Yes, we are fully aware of how contractualization attacks workers' rights. And we are completely against all forms of contractualization. That is why we are against Akbayan and APL's security of tenure bill because it recognizes "subcontracting as a valid business practice". That implies that they don't really want subcontracting and contractualization to end.

What we want and demand is to fully end contractualization. What happened to the ETON workers are just example of how subcontracting attacks workers' rights.

#3 Pasado na po ba ang batas na

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 2011/05/09 - 2:02pm.

Pasado na po ba ang batas na ito?

#4 Tama ang sinabi nya na dpat

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 2011/05/09 - 2:01pm.

Tama ang sinabi nya na dpat magkaroon ng laban sa kontrakwalisyon. Kawawa po kami na laging endo ng endo, mababa pa ang pasahod. Sana isama nyo kaming mga kontrata ang trabho sa inyong adbokasya

#5 Forgive me for posting this

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 2011/07/07 - 11:01am.

Forgive me for posting this but I guess we both believe in freedom of expression...In my opinion, what AKBAYAN and APL did is better than doing nothing at all. The bill, if you have read and fully understood it, does not in anyway promote subcontracting or even calls for its legitimacy. It is already existing and widespread contractualization are very evident. What the bill says is that there should be limitations in subcontracting. We know for a fact that there are some things in this world that we cannot change overnight (like capitalism or subcontracting in that sense). But at least we took a step closer to our goal. And that is job security for each and every Juan. I guess there is no harm in trying. If it works, then good for all the laborers. If not, then lets see what else we can do. Instead of condemning AKBAYAN and APL, why not join then in protecting workers rights. Should the Security of Tenure Bill suck, then lets wait for what KMU and ANAKPAWIS comes up with.

#6 I agree that we should do

Submitted by Pipay (not verified) on Thu, 2011/07/07 - 9:21pm.

I agree that we should do something about the issue of CONTRACTUALIZATION.

However, if we start with the wrong premise,

that is accepting subcontracting and contractualization through outsourcing as a valid business practice,

it is the same as accepting the fact that contractualization is justifiable in other ways which is not true.

Compromising na kaagad sa mga manggagawa. Sa isang banda, yung krisis ng kapitalista (which is actually pagbawas lang naman sa kanilang profit or pag-giveup ng ilang mga luho sa lifestyle), pinapasa sa mga manggagawa, hinahati pa sila na mag-compete sa contractual o project-based o seasonal na trabaho vs. regular workers.

sa biglang tingin, parang nakakatulong yung proposal sa security of tenure bill. pero sa aktwal yung maliit na pagpapalusot sa pagkilala sa subcontracting ang magiging mitsa para matali na naman ang laban ng mga manggagawa sa teknikalidad...hanggang sa makalimutan yung esensya nung laban para sa kasiguraduhan sa trabaho na dapat ay mahigpit na katuwang ng laban sa nakabubuhay na sahod.

I don't think it is possible for KMU to support APL or Akbayan's Security of Tenure Bill. Magkaiba kasi ng suri at pinanggagalingan sa ugat ng problema kaya magkakaroon ng pagkakaiba ng solusyon.

And just for the record, I would rather wait for KMU's move rather than support a bill that will only further complicate things for the workers at iligaw kami sa pinaglalaban namin.

#7 it seems the bill filed by

Submitted by pinakbet (not verified) on Sat, 2011/10/01 - 2:08pm.

it seems the bill filed by akbayan and apl legitimizing subcontracting is within the purview of "i scratch your back you also scratch my front". as to apl, their leader here in cebu was appointed by noynoy as one of the workers representatives in rtwpb.