“Nissan, liar!”

This is the statement of Nissan workers in a heated argument with the management. Forty-one (41) Nissan workers, in compliance with the implementation of a Supreme Court decision, held a protest action this morning in front of the company gates at around 7:00 AM today at Barangay Pulong Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, Laguna.

“Nissan (management) is presenting another statement contrary to its previous statements, just so to derail the reinstatement of workers,” according to Rodel Diolata, vice-president of union Bagong Nagkakaisang Lakas sa Nissan Motors Phils., Inc. (BANAL-NMPI-OLALIA-KMU).

Diolata and Valentin de Leon, Nissan vice-president for corporate planning, exchanged arguments. Diolata insists on de Leon’s earlier statement in a management-union negotiation held on June 22, 2007. In the said negotiation, de Leon reportedly said that the “DoLE (Department of Labor and Employment) resolution has many loopholes which needs to be consulted with the legal counsel.”

Both the management and union agreed to immediately discuss the matters with DoLE officials to resolve the issue of reinstatement.

“But now, de Leon is denying to resolve the case with DoLE. And they have been denying for the nth time which prompted the workers to call him liar. DoLE has slovenly played with the Supreme Court decision, now de Leon wants zero reinstatement for the workers,” said Diolata.

According to its June 15, 2007 resolution, DoLE orders the reinstatement of 25 workers with accrued salaries. According to the workers, the resolution is “contrary to the SC decision which orders the reinstatement of all 144 workers with accrued salaries”.

Water cannons

After being dubbed liar and resentful in the argument, de Leon ordered the company guards to spray the protesting workers with water cannons. The workers remained ground despite the strong water pressure.

“They only stopped after we addressed the police that they are not doing anything while the management is harassing us,” said Diolata.

Under the command of Chief Inspector Major Marvin Saro, some 20 armed elements of Laguna Industrial Park Police Assistance Group (LIPPAG), formerly Industrial Peace Police Action Group, are meters away from the workers. The police was obliged to stop the guards after nearly 30 minutes of spraying the workers with water cannons.

Intensifying trade union repression

Meanwhile, the militant Pagkakaisa ng Manggagawa sa Timog Katagalugan (PAMANTIK-KMU) said that Nissan is “an example of a beast with no way out from the rule of law, but intensively employs repression and harassment against the workers”.

“What the workers have won in the legal process, as with the case of the Supreme Court decision on the Nissan labor dispute, are being taken away by the capitalists. And the Arroyo administration has done nothing to put these capitalists responsible for their crimes against the workers and the Filipino people.”###