Workers from food and beverage conglomerate San Miguel Corporation (SMC) said they have strong and valid reasons to oppose the installment of Arturo Brion as the new secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

SMC labor union Ilaw at Buklod ng mga Manggagawa sa San Miguel Corporation (IBM-SMC) said that they do not want other unions to experience the hardships they went through during Brion’s stint as a corporate lawyer for the Danding Cojuangco-owned food and beverage company.

“We see him as strongly anti-union. Even before he became the Labor Secretary, his days as a corporate lawyer can well justify his character as one who is inclined to suppress union activities and collective actions of workers,” said Yolito Fadriquelan, Secretary General of IBM-SMC.

“Now as the new DoLE Chief, he is obviously displaying that character with his program of labor dispute avoidance and other actions that are so-called meant to ‘further harmonize the relationship between the labor and management.’

The labor leader revealed that in 1994, Brion, who was then an associate from the Siguion-Reyna, Montecillo and Ongsiangko Law firm, the law firmed handling SMC’s legal affairs, helped the company suppress union activities in San Miguel by freezing the special assessment fee intended for union-related activities and other services for SMC workers.

“We had a dispute then with the company, and the legal counsels for SMC, Brion included, suggested the restriction of union funds. We fought hard over a couple of years before we finally laid hands on the funds intended for the union and SMC workers. Up to now, freezing of union funds, harassment of labor leaders and various other dirty tactics are used by the management in their attempt to paralyze the strong union activities at SMC,” the labor leader said.

Brion and his ilk posed strong challenges against IBM and we expect that he will look after the company unions and yellow labor leaders that easily compromised to corporate interests. Now that he’s sitting at DoLE, we do not trust him to deliver to the best interests and welfare of Filipino workers. He was brought up and trained to defend corporate interests at his former law firm. Up to now, he is carrying that ideals, that’s why he was hand picked by Malacanang to replace Patricia Sto. Tomas. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo knows too well that Brion can handle and deliver to the needs of big businesses and corporate organizations,” Fadriquelan said.

The labor leader said that as a result of San Miguel’s continued global expansion and goals of becoming a multinational company, SMC workers are now facing massive lay-offs and termination due to labor contractualization, closure of subsidiary and affiliate companies, company mergers and other policies that are bent on reducing the regular workforce and replacing them with contractual and agency-hired employees. SMC is one of the leading companies in the Philippines which posted P226.7 billion in consolidated revenues for 2005. It is also the largest recognized food, beverage and packaging company in South East Asia .