KMU NEWS RELEASE – August 13, 2002 Tuesday
The labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) staged a protest in front of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) office today to denounce the mounting cases of trade union human rights violations perpetrated by no less than the number one violator of workers rights the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo administration.
“It is extremely unjust and offensive that when workers collectively assert their economic and democratic demands, the government promptly inflicts abusive state terrorism against them. This state-sponsored terrorism against workers ranges from the government's policy of freezing wages, massive job-killing through labor contractualization and the quelling of legitimate protests with the use brutal force from the police and military.”
KMU Secretary for Federation Affairs Joel Maglunsod said throughout their leadership, both Arroyo and Labor Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas, managed to slaughter workers' livelihood and democratic rights. “The government is the leading butcher of workers rights.”
“The government's ‘no wage hike policy’, labor contractualization and criminalization of labor disputes, only brought extensive hardship to the working class. This government deserves the highest form of condemnation for its extreme disregard for social justice and concern of basic sectors. As if not yet satisfied with her denial of workers' demand for higher wages, Arroyo even supported the most repressive labor policies imposed by employers and capitalists in factories, economic zones and industrial enclaves. With this we firmly regard the Arroyo administration as extremely anti-worker and anti-labor. For us she is the real terrorist. Her pro-business, foreign-dictated policies always threaten workers' livelihood and violates the people's democratic rights.” Maglunsod said.
Maglunsod further revealed that employers frequently seek the aid of the government, police and military elements to quell protests mounted by workers. “Based on our data, government forces are the main perpetrators of grave trade union rights violations like harassment, physical assault, mauling, sexual harassment, illegal arrests and detention, abduction and other forms of abuse against workers. Once permitted, they could even impose a no-union, no-strike policy. But we will not allow this to happen. We will continue asserting our rights.”
The labor leader said that this situation would further aggravate especially now that the US government is being arrogant with its interventionist policies on our internal affairs. He likewise affirmed that Arroyo's move to include trade unions among possible terrorists had something to do with the US government's decision to declare the CPP-NPA as a foreign terrorist organization.
“This is very alarming as this could further intensify the human rights violations all over the country. As we know, the government and the military always fail to make clear distinction between legal, progressive mass organizations like KMU and revolutionary organizations waging armed resistance in the countryside. AFP even widened the scope of their militarization campaign from the provinces to urban areas, factories and workplaces.”
Maglunsod revealed that from January 2001 to June 2002, nearly 8,000 workers were victimized by different cases of attacks at picket lines such as physical assault, harassment, illegal arrest and detention, sexual harassment, coercion, grave threat, mauling, abduction and other forms of abuses.