Port workers clinch landslide victory vs yellow unions

Sasa, Davao City—Workers under the Nagkahiusang Mamumuo sa Filipinas Port Services, Inc. – National Federation of Labor Unions – Kilusang Mayo Uno (NAMAFIL-NAFLU-KMU) overwhelmed two other union contenders in a certification elections held here today.

Following the election that started at 8:30 in the morning and ended at around noon, results showed NAMAFIL-NAFLU-KMU garnering 74 votes, Filipinas Port Services Inc. Workers Union-Alliance of Labor Unions (ALU) with 19 votes, and Nagkahiusang Trabahante sa FilPort-National Federation of Labor (NFL) with 1 vote. One worker voted for “no union” and one ballot got spoiled. All 96 regular rank-and-file workers of the company were able to cast their votes.

A certification election is held to determine which union shall legally represent regular rank-and-file workers in collective bargaining negotiations and other union affairs.

Alex Tuazon, president of NAMAFIL-NAFLU-KMU, said that the victory was a testament of the workers’ discontent over the two “yellow unions” or management unions that made them easy targets for capitalist exploitation. “The landslide victory was also a statement to the management that we are ready to strengthen our ranks to protect our economic and democratic rights.”

Tuazon declared that the victory was also a proof that the workers will never yield for cheap tricks of yellow unions. He divulged that the night before the election, organizers of ALU rounded up 22 workers at Beachside Resort in Lanang and paid them P100.00 each to vote for ALU.

Romualdo Basilio, Southern Mindanao regional director of NAFLU-KMU, said that ALU and other yellow unions have always tried to pull these underhanded tricks to hoodwink workers. “Instead of discussing real issues that concern workers like wage, security of tenure and democratic rights, they resort to red-baiting and demonizing genuine unions. The result of the election showed that organized workers—beset by low wages and unjust working conditions—will never bargain their rights and long-term interests for fleeting favors from yellow unions.”

“We enjoin all workers of FilPort to unite for a much bigger battle. From the start, the management has registered its dislike over our genuine union and we expect it will hype up its campaign against us during the CBA negotiations. We call for the workers to collectively stand for their interests and strengthen their union,” Basilio said in conclusion.