Nissan workers violently dispersed, 1 nabbed

More than 40 striking workers of Nissan Motors Philippines, community members and supporting workers from other factories again suffered violent dispersal and harassment from security guards and police during a barricade protest which started at 7AM today, September 5, in front of the company gates in Barangay Pulong Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, Laguna.

At 1:50 PM, some 20 security guards from IRA and Aaron Security Agencies fired water cannons on the striking workers which lasted for 40 minutes. Passersby and sari-sari stores near the company gates also were caught by the indiscriminate water treatment.

The security guards, at around 5:10, tried to drive off the striking workers using truncheons and shields issued by Laguna Industrial Park Police Assistance Group (LIPPAG).

One union officer was nabbed and held by police as tensions brewed.Rizaldo Rotarta, public relations officer (PRO) of union Bagong Nagkakaisang Lakas sa Nissan Motors Philippines, Inc. (BANAL-OLALIA-KMU) was strangled as he was taken from the scuffle by a police officer.

A labor federation officer was also severely hurt. Ronald Hatulan of Organized Labor Association in Line Industry and Agriculture (OLALIA-KMU) suffered bruises and cuts from truncheons and shields.

Police intimidation

Aside from the police’s involvement in the dispersal, LIPPAG commanding officer PNP Major Marvin Saro, himself, was reportedly taking video footages using his mobile phone face to face with union officers.

“Saro’s mobile phone was just a few inches away from my face as I was trying to make my speech,” said Rodel Diolata, union vice-president.

“Hindi man lang siya natinag nang sabihin kong gagamitin n’ya ang kanyang mga kuha sa amin para i-zero ang mga target ng political killings (He never even budged when I said that he will be using the shots to zero-in targets for political killings)”.

Desperate measures to void legitimate court decisions

“We are airing our demands that Nissan management comply with and implement the Supreme Court decision. Instead, Nissan has become more ferocious in curtailing our rights as workers and barring the decisions of the highest court in the land,” said Diolata.

The Supreme Court on June 21, 2006 resolved on the Nissan labor dispute, reinstating 144 striking workers back to work with full back wages.

“Now, Nissan is twisting a legitimate labor issue by pressing criminal charges against us, like it just did to our union PRO. Rotarta was first brought to ‘Toyota’ police station and was finally detained in LIPPAG Station in Paseo de Santa Rosa, Laguna.”

The police filed direct assault charges against Rotarta.

Massacre of workers’ rights

The militant regional labor center in Southern Tagalog, Pagkakaisa ng Manggagawa sa Timog Katagalugan (PAMATIK-KMU), issued a statement condemning to the highest degree the latest dispersal, harassment, intimidation, and detention undergone by Nissan workers.

“The Nissan management has made worse on the labor dispute when the striking workers are only trying to assert and defend a Supreme Court ruling,” said Luz Baculo, PAMANTIK secretary-general.

“For its part, the police has outrightly uncovered itself with being mercenary agent of the capitalist. The Supreme Court decision favoring the Nissan workers should be respected and enforced by no other than the police.”

PAMANTIK also lashed out on Arturo Brion, secretary of Department of Labor and Employment.

“Is this what he meant during his speech in the ILO Conference to exhaust all legal processes and institutions in the country? The Nissan workers have been on strike for almost six years and have consumed all possible legal means even reaching the Supreme Court”.

Brion made a speech in the International Labor Organization’s 96th He spoke against KMU’s October 2006 complaint to the ILO, saying it “premature, forum shopping and sinister”. International Labor Conference on June 13 in Geneva, Switzerland.

“Brion, as well as his higher ups in Malacañang, is very much instrumental in the gross reversals of favorable decisions. He has, by no doubt, a big credential in the massacre of workers’ rights,” concluded Baculo.