MARIVELES, Bataan — A group of union leaders and workers at the Freeport Area of Bataan (FAB) here on the May 1 Labor Day celebration demanded free housing units, especially for minimum wage earners, that they claimed is an obligation of government.
In a forum organized by the Alyansa ng Manggagawa ng Bataan-Bataan Labor Alliance and Workers for Peoples Liberation (AMBA-BALA/WPL), the union leaders and workers voiced the urgent need for free housing.
“Kung ang mga kapitalista ay nabibigyan ng pabahay, bakit ang mga manggagawa wala? Marami sa manggagawa ay walang sariling bahay at umuupa o kaya ay nakikipisan kaya dapat bigyan ng libreng pabahay lalo na ang mga minimum wage earners,” AMBA-BALA/WPL chair Noel de Mesa echoed.
“Ito’y bilang obligasyon ng gobyerno sa manggagawa at hindi ‘yong pagkakakitaan pa sila ng mga developers,” De Mesa added.
The labor leader estimated that 60% of the total work force in the FAB are renters. Officials of the Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan that supervises FAB said that 95 firms presently operating have more than 38,000 workers.
The forum held in Barangay Poblacion, Mariveles dealt on living wage and housing rights for workers. De Mesa said that around 60 union leaders and workers from different factories in FAB and community leaders joined the forum.
Some members of the Samahan at Ugnayan ng Mamamayan ng Mariveles also participated in the gathering.
Speakers in the forum aside from De Mesa were Delfin Anzaldo, president of BFG Union; Emily Fajardo, secretary-general of AMBA-BALA; and Elpidio Avellanoza, secretary-general of Freeport Workers League.
