Protests directed against Arroyo gov't to go off in 8 countries, 13 cities worldwide

Labor unions in the Philippines supported by trade union centers and labor advocates from the United States, Australia, Canada, Germany, United Kingdom, New Zealand, South Korea, South Africa, India, Austria and Hongkong will hold protest actions and solidarity activities on November 16 in support to the growing opposition against escalating cases of extra-judicial killings in the Philippines.

"We are expecting various forms of support from 8 countries and 13 cities abroad for the International Protest against Trade Union Repression and Political Killings on November 16. We decided to coincide the global day of action with the 2nd anniversary of the Hacienda Luisita Massacre. Until now, the families of the 7 Luisita massacre victims together with the 765 activists killed under the Arroyo administration have not received justice."

Most of our allied foreign labor groups and trade union centers will conduct protest actions at the Philippine Consulate in their respective countries. We hope that through international pressure, we can stop the violations of workers' and human rights and expose Arroyo's sham "human rights concerns" and superficial efforts to resolve the cases through the Melo Commission," said KMU Secretary General Joel Maglunsod.

The labor leader said that while various foreign business chambers expressed alarm that rising political killings in the country will affect investments and the local business climate, workers, survivors and families of victims of trade union and human rights violations will hold protests Thursday to demand Malacanang to put a stop these killings. "We demand justice for all the victims of political killings and other state-sponsored abuse. From January 2001 to October this
year, we have recorded 72 cases of political killings involving labor leaders, trade union and urban poor community organizers and labor advocates. Twenty-nine workers were killed this year, 10 are still missing and scores continue to experience harassment and surveillance from military and police elements," Maglunsod said.

Attacks on labor, media workers intensifying

While Malacanang and FG Mike Arroyo attempts hard to stifle the media from reporting the abuses and corruption of the incumbent administration, attacks on workers continue on a daily basis.

The latest case of trade union rights violation involved the violent dispersal of protesting workers of Nestle Philippines at the Supreme Court this morning. Several workers were arrested and detained by the WPD police. The protesters are convincing the High Court to release a decision on the cases they filed against the Nestle management.

The multinational company's labor union lead a strike in 2002 due to a labor dispute following the failed Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiation after company executives refused to include retirement benefits in the CBA. Nestle union's president, labor leader Diosdado Fortuna was killed in September 22 last year. His case is still unresolved up to this time.