ANGELES CITY – The labor organization Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) vowed yesterday to plague the Aquino government with protest actions starting this month as it decried the government’s support for the firing of more than 3,000 employees of the Philippine Airlines (PAL).
“The decision to uphold a job massacre at PAL was announced a day before All Saints’ Day, when the Filipino workers and people are busy paying respects to their deceased loved ones. The objective is obvious: to hide from view such an ugly and unpopular decision. Not only is this disrespectful of the occasion, it is disrespectful of the intelligence of the Filipino workers and people,” said KMU chairperson Elmer Labog in a statement emailed to Punto.
“The green light of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) for the lay-off was nothing less than a go signal to massive retrenchment, contractualization through outsourcing and union-busting,” Labog said.
He accused the Aquino government of being pro-capitalist like the Arroyo administration and vowed to hold a series protest actions starting this month.
“We vow to make November and the coming months turbulent for the Aquino regime, as we fight for higher wages, job security, jobs for all and our trade-union and human rights,” he said.
Labog noted that “this is the second time that the Aquino regime has intervened in PAL’s labor disputes in favor of Tan”.
He recalled that the government “also sided with Tan in the labor dispute involving the flag carrier’s flight attendants who are protesting anti-worker and anti-women policies.”
“This October, the DOLE announced that it will assume jurisdiction over the labor dispute – and therefore declare illegal any workers’ strike – before the scheduled mediation talks between the management and the flight attendants’ union, thereby undermining the workers’ right to strike. The mediation talks naturally collapsed and Tan got his way,” he noted.
“We condemn Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz’s decision of giving a green light to business tycoon Lucio Tan’s scheme of laying off more than 3,000 employees in Philippine Airlines,” he said.
He said that with the decision, “the Aquino regime is actually upholding a ruling made by the Arroyo regime last March. In the eyes of the Filipino workers and people, this is another proof that the Aquino regime is no different from its predecessor in being anti-worker and anti-people.”
“Like the Arroyo regime, it is upholding the interests of big capitalists, to the detriment of the interests of the Filipino workers and people. It has no qualms in siding with big capitalists like Lucio Tan who are notorious for implementing various anti-worker schemes even as they rake in huge superprofits year in and year out, “he also said.
Labog said that “the Aquino regime is only too eager to swallow hook, line and sinker Tan’s lie that PAL is incurring losses. It turned a deaf ear to workers’ claim that the company is doing well: PAL recently purchased Boeing 777 jets, opened new international flights and offered various promos.”
“Tan himself is doing well, remaining the second richest businessman in the country. The net earnings of his PAL Holdings, Inc., which has an 81 percent share in PAL, increased by 52.4 percent according to the Philippine Stock Exchange,” he said.
Labog accused the Aquino administration of also turning “ a deaf ear to workers’ claim that they will be laid off only to be re-hired again as contractuals with lesser pay, no job security and no union.”
“When seen in tandem with the Supreme Court’s approval of a toll fee hike in the South Luzon Expressway, we get the sense that the Aquino regime delayed the implementation of unpopular decisions until after its first 100 days – to maintain, for that occasion, the illusion that it is popular among the Filipino workers and people. On this score, it is no different from the Arroyo regime: it is implementing anti-worker, anti-people policies in the most deceitful manner possible,” Labog added.
Labog said the labor sector will fight against the Aquino government’s “connivance with big foreign and local capitalists to further exploit and oppress us”, as well as against the government’s efforts “to hide from view its anti-worker and anti-people policies.”
“The decision to uphold a job massacre at PAL was announced a day before All Saints’ Day, when the Filipino workers and people are busy paying respects to their deceased loved ones. The objective is obvious: to hide from view such an ugly and unpopular decision. Not only is this disrespectful of the occasion, it is disrespectful of the intelligence of the Filipino workers and people,” said KMU chairperson Elmer Labog in a statement emailed to Punto.
“The green light of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) for the lay-off was nothing less than a go signal to massive retrenchment, contractualization through outsourcing and union-busting,” Labog said.
He accused the Aquino government of being pro-capitalist like the Arroyo administration and vowed to hold a series protest actions starting this month.
“We vow to make November and the coming months turbulent for the Aquino regime, as we fight for higher wages, job security, jobs for all and our trade-union and human rights,” he said.
Labog noted that “this is the second time that the Aquino regime has intervened in PAL’s labor disputes in favor of Tan”.
He recalled that the government “also sided with Tan in the labor dispute involving the flag carrier’s flight attendants who are protesting anti-worker and anti-women policies.”
“This October, the DOLE announced that it will assume jurisdiction over the labor dispute – and therefore declare illegal any workers’ strike – before the scheduled mediation talks between the management and the flight attendants’ union, thereby undermining the workers’ right to strike. The mediation talks naturally collapsed and Tan got his way,” he noted.
“We condemn Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz’s decision of giving a green light to business tycoon Lucio Tan’s scheme of laying off more than 3,000 employees in Philippine Airlines,” he said.
He said that with the decision, “the Aquino regime is actually upholding a ruling made by the Arroyo regime last March. In the eyes of the Filipino workers and people, this is another proof that the Aquino regime is no different from its predecessor in being anti-worker and anti-people.”
“Like the Arroyo regime, it is upholding the interests of big capitalists, to the detriment of the interests of the Filipino workers and people. It has no qualms in siding with big capitalists like Lucio Tan who are notorious for implementing various anti-worker schemes even as they rake in huge superprofits year in and year out, “he also said.
Labog said that “the Aquino regime is only too eager to swallow hook, line and sinker Tan’s lie that PAL is incurring losses. It turned a deaf ear to workers’ claim that the company is doing well: PAL recently purchased Boeing 777 jets, opened new international flights and offered various promos.”
“Tan himself is doing well, remaining the second richest businessman in the country. The net earnings of his PAL Holdings, Inc., which has an 81 percent share in PAL, increased by 52.4 percent according to the Philippine Stock Exchange,” he said.
Labog accused the Aquino administration of also turning “ a deaf ear to workers’ claim that they will be laid off only to be re-hired again as contractuals with lesser pay, no job security and no union.”
“When seen in tandem with the Supreme Court’s approval of a toll fee hike in the South Luzon Expressway, we get the sense that the Aquino regime delayed the implementation of unpopular decisions until after its first 100 days – to maintain, for that occasion, the illusion that it is popular among the Filipino workers and people. On this score, it is no different from the Arroyo regime: it is implementing anti-worker, anti-people policies in the most deceitful manner possible,” Labog added.
Labog said the labor sector will fight against the Aquino government’s “connivance with big foreign and local capitalists to further exploit and oppress us”, as well as against the government’s efforts “to hide from view its anti-worker and anti-people policies.”
