Protesting aircraft builders join wage hike action

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2007/10/14 - 11:54am

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Santa Rosa City, LAGUNA, 11 October - Around 40 dismissed workers of Bonanza Metalcrafters Enterprises, an aircraft-building company here joined and hosted in their protest camp the renewed call for the P125-legislated wage hike.

“We are honored to host this action call. Despite having been illegally terminated from our company, we stand together with all the workers in the struggle for just wages. Even if we are assembling aircraft bodies in Bonanza, our wages are pegged to the minimum P285,” said Iriez Ortega, treasurer of Union of Bonanza Metalcrafters Enterprises (UBE-Independent).

By 3PM, some 50 workers from member unions of Alyansa ng Manggagawa sa Enklabo (AMEN or Alliance of Enclave Workers) and the Southern Tagalog Wage Increase Solidarity (ST-WINS) converged at the protest camp, in front of the company.

“Firstly, we are here in this protest site to renew the call for the P125-legislated wage hike,” said Adonis Borbe, AMEN secretary-general.

House Bill 345 or the Beltran Bill which proposes a P125-legislated wage hike, across the board, nationwide for employees in the private sector passed the Congress on December 2006, but never reached approval in the Senate until the end of the 13^th Congress. In July, House Speaker Jose de Venecia claimed the bill “dead in the water”.

“Second, the members of AMEN would like to register its solidarity to the struggle of Bonanza workers,” continued Borbe.

According to Ortega, Bonanza Metalcrafters management “retrenched” 85 of its regular workers since June till August in three waves.

“Most of those terminated are union officers and members. This incident prompted us to establish our protest camp outside the company gates on August 16 to defend our employment status,” said Ortega.

The union won in the certification elections held on September 26. However, the management contested the election results saying the voters were already dismissed and were no longer employed in the company.

“How can it be when the company’s human resources department itself furnished the list of official voters to the Bureau of Labor Relations? All the company’s pronouncements aim to discredit the legitimacy of our union and struggle.”

Arturo Brion, secretary of Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) ordered an assumption of jurisdiction over the dispute in Bonanza Metalcrafters on August 31.

American Steve Nelson, Australian Vinny Reino, and Filipino counterpart Chimmy Ramos head the US-owned Bonanza Metalcrafters Enterprises. The company assembles 4-seater luxury aircrafts such as Vans, Glastar, and Zenith. The products are mainly exported to the US and Europe.###

Comments

#1 You guys just shot yourself

Submitted by Jerry (not verified) on Fri, 2009/02/06 - 2:03am.

You guys just shot yourself in the foot. These jobs can and will be done anywhere in the world. Your skills can be easily taught to any number of folks seeking honest work.

BTW, where in the world have you seen communism actually work?

Cheers,

Jerry

#2 hardly have they shot

Submitted by Mikel-USA (not verified) on Fri, 2009/02/06 - 3:52am.

hardly have they shot themselves in the foot, they are fighting for basic fairness and just compensation. You are right though, there is always some other money hungry slug ready somewhere to pay people the absolute lowest wage possible in order to line their own pockets. I am all for free enterprise and a free market system, but I also believe that the basic moral tenet of paying someone a fair and decent livable wage with decent benefits trumps any right someone has to take advantage of workers. Jerry, I am sure you are one of the ultimate customers of these kit planes these workers were building (just as I am), and I am sure you are frustrated by the impact of this labor action on your hobby, but I ask you to keep in mind that there are real live humans involved here who need to be able to make a decent wage to support their families. Why would anyone have a problem with that? I can assure you that the American and Australian owners of the plant and the Kit Airplane companies are making a pretty penny off of the sweat of these workers - why not pay them a just LIVABLE wage? The idea of basic fairness is hardly communist as you imply. Not everything should be ruled by the almighty dollar jerry - shame on you.

#3 Instead of fighting about

Submitted by Shelly V. (not verified) on Tue, 2009/03/17 - 6:58am.

Instead of fighting about you shot who or what. Why not work together to come to common ground. There is an answer it just needs to be worked out.

#4 I just discovered the

Submitted by Charles (not verified) on Sun, 2009/04/05 - 12:23am.

I just discovered the dispute between the workers (union representatives) and Bonanza Metalcrafers. The union and House Bill 345 must not have any teeth or it would not be necessary to camp at the front gate.

If a worker believes he is being treated unfairly, he has the right to leave and seek employment elsewhere. If the company thinks a worker is not needed or is unproductive, they have the right to sack him. If there is a mutual benefit then worker and company both benefit. The company does not “owe” the worker anything. Where is the dispute?

The individual that stated, “Why not work together to come to common ground. There is an answer it just needs to be worked out.” Obviously he has never run a company. His thinking is liberal mush such as, “why can’t we all just get along”. In some cases getting along requires that you squish the opponent, bully on the school ground, an enemy that attacks you, etc.

Charles

#5 hello everybody,i love this

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 2009/05/18 - 2:51pm.

hello everybody,i love this compony so much we are the pioneer,who first built and the management hired us for an experiment,if we succed and built atleasr one fuse ludge in 3 months the Vans aircraft from us will give as the job and by GODS grace we make it with trials and errors and have the job for until this days .i am not anymore employed of this compony,but still i do love this compony,we all started in low salary but we keep on going and until now the compony still working ,why are you people just be thankful of what you have,the bosses are very generous its that the new management make the new rules and make more complicated but i think its for good,we all the filipinos usually have the crab mentality thats why theres no succes on us,me myself still thinking why i left the compony,hope to visit the site someday i do miss the old bonanza with all the BURAOTS THERE