Banana industry launches own voluntary code

DAVAO CITY, Dec. 21 (PIA) -- After the pilot voluntary code of good practices on decent work in the Business Process Outsourcing industry, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE XI) launched yesterday a voluntary code in the banana industry as well.

This was achieved given that the said industry contributes 240,000 workers and around 1.4 million persons directly dependent on the banana industry.

The code provides a guiding set of principles that will govern the operation of the Banana Industry Tripartite Council (BITC) in aiming for industrial peace, productivity, and competitiveness.

The code contains normative, aspirational and regulatory standards on the many aspects of labor-management relations and corporate governance in the industry.

It is the outcome of key players in the banana export industry such as PBGEA, FEDCO, Amsefpco, Farmcoop, ALU-TUCP, FILU, PFL, Stanfilco, TADECO, Sumifru, Del Monte Fresh, and Unifrutti, and relevant government agencies like DA, DAR, TESDA, and CDA.

Some of the unique content of the code includes the commitment of the management sector to refrain from retrenching or laying-off people during times of economic downturn and energy crisis.

They also agreed to formulate an occupational health and safety policy and program to address safety and health concerns in worksites.

Raising awareness campaigns on HIV/AIDS, dangerous drugs, tuberculosis, dengue and malaria is also part of their priorities.

The management sector has also committed to promote and practice transparency in transactions between and among national and local governments, without prejudice to the protection of trade and industry secrets, to resist anomalous and corrupt transactions.

The management sector also condemns pole vaulting as it undermines the rule of law and obligation of contract and threatens global reputation of Philippine bananas. They have committed to discourage its members from engaging in it. (PIA XI)

Source:
Anna Lee M. Fos
Youth/Research/Human and Trade Union Rights Monitoring Officer
Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP)
TUCP-PGEA Compound, Masaya & Maharlika Sts., Diliman, Quezon City
Mobile: +63 908 584 0541/+63 917 855 1225
Direct Line: +632 922 0917/433 2208
TUCP Fax: +632 921 9758
Email: tucpresearch@gmail.com
secretariat@trafficking.org.ph
Website: http://www.tucp.org.ph/; http://www.trafficking.org.ph/v5/

TUCP Workers’ College Training Program

Posted December 20, 2010

TUCP WORKERS’ COLLEGE FREE TRAINING PROGRAMNOW ACCEPTING APPLICANTS FOR QUICK ENROLLMENT
ASSESSMENT STARTS ON DECEMBER 22, 2010
ALL CLASSES START ON DECEMBER 27, 2010

For inquiries, call (02) 924.7551; (02) 433.2208; (02) 922.0917
Mobile: 0917.855.1225/0908.584.0541

Courses offered:

Housekeeping NC II (100 slots)
Wellness Massage/Hilot NC II (100 slots)
Finishing Course for Call Center Agents NC II (200)

For qualifications, read here:
- 18 to 55 years old
- Completed at least High School
- Not working; no longer studying
- Willing to work
- Must undergo and pass the qualification assessment administered by TESDA

- For Finishing Course for Call Center Agents (FCCCA), must be computer literate

DOLE warns vs firms selling products to jobseekers

Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz on Monday warned jobseekers against some marketing firms that exploit jobseekers by requiring them to buy their products in exchange for nonexistent jobs.

In a statement posted on the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) website, Baldoz said such firms require jobseekers to buy "training kits" and shell out money for supposed training.

"Employers should not require workers or even applicants to buy their products as this is tantamount to violation of the law," Baldoz said.

Article 112 of the Labor Code and Article 288 of the Revised Penal Code prohibit employers from obliging workers to buy merchandise and commodities from them.

Baldoz cited the recent case of a worker who filed a complaint with DOLE’s Public Assistance Complaint Unit (PACU) after being made to buy a water purifier and a training kit by a Malate-based firm as a requirement for a job that turned out to be non-existent.

Complainant Israel Garduque, 25, said the person who interviewed him when he submitted his application told him that he should first buy an appliance the firm was selling. He was also told to pay for training kits, and undergo training before he could be hired.

“I was desperate for a job that’s why I readily agreed to pay P3,500 for a water purifier and another P550 for a training kit before I underwent a two-week training for a job in which did not materialize," the DOLE statement quoted Garduque as saying.

He said he stopped training with the marketing firm when he sensed that the jobs promised to applicants were non-existent. He wanted a refund of the money that the marketing firm allegedly fleeced from him.

“Garduque’s case is still being heard at the DOLE Regional Office in the National Capital Region where it was referred to by the PACU," Baldoz said. - KBK/MRT, GMANews.TV

Declaration of the 3rd Labour and Employment

Unilateral EU declaration regarding the situation in Birma/Myanmar regarding fundamental principles and rights at work. This declaration is circulated at the conference:

The EU refers to the last report of the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar during the Human Rights council in March 2010 and to the 309^th session (Nov 2010) of the Governing Body of the ILO and recalls conclusions on Myanmar as regards the fight against forced labour adopted during this meeting. The EU strongly urges the Government of Myanmar to respect all its commitments and to work proactively towards their realization. At the same time we confirm our engagement to using the ASEM dialogue and other appropriate channels to improve core labour standards and to promote social development in Myanmar.

Dear colleagues,


Find here attached the Declaration of the 3rd Labour and Employment Ministers’ Conference (LEMCIII) which was held after the consultations with the social partners in Leiden and the Unilateral EU declaration regarding the situation in Burma.


The declaration emphasises the different measures taken to lead to a “job rich” recovery and their impact on budgets. The text welcomes the Social Partners’ Forum on March 29 and on December 12 saying that “social partners can play a constructive role in the crisis recovery process”. Contrary to what the employers asked in their statement, the Ministers also call for implementation of the ILO Global Jobs Pact and the Decent Work Agenda. The Ministers observed progress on social protection and they look forward to June 2011 ILO Conference. They reaffirmed the importance of corporate social responsibility which helps “employers develop joint ownership of core labour standards, social stability and social justice with their employees”. The Ministers also called for better linkages between the worlds of education, training and work in order to foster the development of new skills, especially for the low-carbon economy- better anticipate future skills’ needs and create “robust national competency and skills frameworks.”



The Ministers undertook the following tasks:

1. contribute to the global debate on Employment and Social Policy,

2. promote social dialogue through developing active involvement of social partners in the ASEM employment and social policy cooperation, including technical projects,

3. strengthen dialogue and cooperation through regular SOMs

4. implement projects: Social protection (Finland/Vietnam), Youth Employment (China/Spain), Health and Safety at Work (Singapore, Indonesia/France), Skills Policies (the Philippines/EU country tbd)

Kind regards,

Yorgos Altintzis

Policy Assistant


tel (direct): +32 2 224 0337

email: georgios.altintzis@ituc-csi.org

Source:

ITUC International Trade Union Confederation

CSI Confédération syndicale internationale

CSI Confederación Sindical Internacional

ΔΣΣ Διεθνής Συνομοσπονδία Συνδικάτων
 

Canada supplies 90% of Philippine asbestos imports

Manila, Philippines -- Preliminary data from the Bureau of Customs showed Jeffrey Mine and Lab Chrysotile from Canada supplied 90% of Philippine asbestos imports in 2007-2009. Jeffrey Mine supplied 86% of the total imports!

Brazil’s Sama S.A. Mineracoes Associates and Tsutsui Trading supplied 8% of the imports while the remaining 2% came from South Africa’s C.J. Petrow & Company and China’s Sichuan Textiles Import & Export.

The Philippines imported a total of 5,953,074 kilograms of chrysotile fibers during the two-year period.

To: ban-asbestos-philippines@googlegroups.com; a-ban@googlegroups.com

Source:
Dominador M. Tuvera
Campaign Officer
Associated Labor Unions (ALU) - TUCP
Tel.: +632 922 2575; Cell.: +63 927 8095221
Email: dtuvera@gmail.com

Bukidnon farm workers camp out of capitol to demand minimum wage

December 11, 2010

MALAYBALAY — Around 500 farm workers from different municipalities in Bukidnon province set up a “Kampuhan sa Mag-uuma,” or farmers’ camp, in front of the provincial capitol in protest of the low salaries they receive from plantation owners.

The farmers, led by Kahugpungan sa mga Mag-uuma-Bukidnon (Kasama-Bukidnon), Organisasyon sa mga Yanong Obrerong Nagkahiusa and Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas-Northern Mindanao Region, want the implementation of the minimum wage in the region as well as the realization of the benefits for sugarcane workers through the Social Amelioration Fund.

Based on an order issued by the National Wages and Productivity Commission in August this year, the region’s agricultural workers are supposed to receive P229 to P244 daily based on four categories that depend on plantation locations.

“Most of the farmers in the province are landless and rely on their daily wage as farm hands,” said Danilo V. Menente, chairman of Kasama-Bukidnon.

“But Bukidnon farm workers are usually paid as low as P80 a day — with luck, they could get P120. The harvesting or hauling rate of sugarcane is roughly P0.10 to P0.12 per kilogram,” he added.

Farmers also complain that since there are times they are forced to borrow from landowners, they are subjected to unfair deals that they could not refuse.

“It is always agreed on that these farmers would only sell to the landowner who dictates the price for their harvest,” said Mr. Menente.

On Dec. 7, Vice-Governor Jose Ma. R. Zubiri, Jr., with representatives from the provincial offices of the Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and Department of Agrarian Reform, faced the farmers in a dialogue.
The farmers demanded an investigation into the wage system in every municipality of the province and asked the provincial government to support or provide subsidies to cooperatives established by farmers.

Mr. Zubiri said that they could not give subsidies to the cooperatives but could help them by giving fertilizers and seedlings.

The farmers also said the government should control the increases of farm input prices and the decreasing price of agricultural products such as vegetables. They also asked for trainings for livelihood programs that could augment their incomes.

Finally, the farmers’ groups called again for another negotiation, asking for an ordinance that will sanction farm owners who do not follow the minimum wage order and provide benefits for the farmers.

The Kampuhan will be capped on Dec. 10 by a caravan to nearby Cagayan de Oro City and a march-rally to be participated in by other progressive blocs in the region to commemorate the International Human Rights Day. — Louise G. Dumas, Businessworld

Ethical basis of policy-making

Add caption

Health systems should allow all beneficiaries to assume personal responsibility for their own health.’

GIVEN the general perception of the pervasiveness of corruption through all levels of the three branches of the Philippine government, an emphasis on rooting out corruption by any new administration is welcome.

Corruption in the legislature is almost taken for granted. Most people have lost faith in the justice system and law practitioners lead in the cynical view that decisions even at the highest levels can be bought and sold. The last administration took the reputation of the executive branch down to all-time lows. Thus, the present campaign against corruption is popular and most Filipinos believe that this is long overdue.

But it would be naive to think that corruption exists only in government. It is almost as pervasive in the private sector. As the saying goes, there would be no bribe-takers in government if there were no bribe-givers from business institutions. Many social-minded critics of Philippine culture actually believe that predilection for promoting self-interest is most deeply ingrained among the most fervent believers of free-enterprise capitalism.

Anti-corruption programs are actually counter-productive when they result in paralysis of the bureaucracy. Graft-free public works agencies would be useless if no infrastructures are ever built. Cleansing the tax-collecting mechanisms would do no good if revenues were not generated. A virtuous but ineffective security apparatus would not serve the interests of communities that are left unprotected.

In some areas of governance, fighting corruption can actually be a bad thing if it were the only thing that government agencies did. For example, the Department of Health takes pride in the surveys showing that it is perceived as the "least corrupt" department of the last administration. However, an analysis of the effects of neglect in the health sector can be interpreted as evidence that allowing health inequities to continue may in reality be unethical if not downright immoral.

By tolerating the existence of profound health inequities, most stakeholders of the Philippine health may in fact be guilty of violating the bio-ethical principles of non-maleficence, beneficence, justice, and respect for the autonomy of individuals, families, and communities.

Non-maleficence ("doing no harm") is the principle that requires health authorities to protect the health of individuals and communities, especially that of vulnerable groups in society. A system that allows 10 women to die of preventable pregnancy-related causes on a daily basis certainly bears responsibility for this harm. Allowing harmful practices - such as the promotion of smoking and potentially harmful "cosmetic" interventions - is also a violation of the principle of non-maleficence.

Beneficence requires the health community to make evidence-based and up to date health interventions available to everyone who needs them. Denying contraceptives to poor women who no longer wish to become pregnant, maintaining price-barriers to common antibiotics, and prescribing only expensive medicines to individuals with chronic conditions are examples of violations of the principle of beneficence.

Justice is the principle that mandates equity, social justice, and universality in the operations of any health system. The principle is violated when life-expectancy in impoverished rural areas is 15 years less than that in rich urban gated villages. It is not served when life-saving but expensive treatments (such as Caesarian sections or dialysis) are accessible to those who can pay but denied to individuals who happen to be poor.

Finally, the principle of autonomy compels health systems to respect individual and communal rights to self-determination and self-reliance. As well, health systems should allow all beneficiaries to assume personal responsibility for their own health. The principle is violated by a top-down approach to health policy-making where beneficiaries of health services do not have a voice in determining allocation of resources for health. It is violated by a system that preserves professional authority for providers while denying information to recipients. A fragmented health system that obstructs access to appropriate health services by forcing health service seekers to navigate a complex process without assistance also violates the principle of autonomy.

In short, minimizing corruption in the health system may be necessary in order to effectively and efficiently carry out programs of health service delivery but it is not sufficient to assure its compliance to the accepted bioethical norms of behavior in health. Governance structures in such a system must take into account the existence of continuing health inequity - defined as unequal, unfair, and unjust access by some groups to the services needed to achieve individual and societal health goals. Policies that fail in this are in fact unethical if not immoral.

Below is an excerpt from the above article by A.G ROMUALDEZ JR., M.D.

An article in The Lancet, a leading international medical and public health journal, has accused the government of Canada of hypocrisy in its policies regarding the asbestos industry. Asbestos, established as a cause of mesothelioma (a deadly form of lung cancer), has long been banned for use in construction in almost all developed countries - including Canada. Nevertheless, that country is still one of the world’s major exporters of the lethal material to countries that still allow its use - such as India, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

Because the link between mesothelioma and chrysotile (a generic term name for asbestos) was not fully established and accepted until the 60s, past occupational exposure, even in developed countries has resulted in a continuing rise in the incidence of cases. As an example, the article states, "In the UK, the mesothelioma death toll has increased from 895 in 1990 to 2249 in 2008. It could be a decade before cases begin to fall again."

In this light, our health regulatory must review current policies that allow the Philippines to continue importing asbestos from the world’s biggest producers like Canada, Brazil, Kazakhstan, and Russia. The Philippines should also support attempts - long resisted by these supplier countries - to include chrysotile in the Rotterdam Convention (a list of controlled substances maintained by the United Nations).

source: http://www.malaya.com.ph/12152010/edromuald.html

Real value of wages in the Philippines and Malaysia

Real value of wages in the Philippines and Malaysia posted the biggest drop at four percent for the region in 2008 as the worldwide financial and economic crisis cut global wage growth by half in 2008 and 2009, a new report by the International Labor Office (ILO) said.

Growth in average monthly real wages in Asia fell from 7.2 percent in 2007 to 7.1 percent in 2008. In 2009 the provisional estimate for wage growth is eight percent, which would be by far the best performance of any region in the world.

However these figures are heavily influenced by China (which accounts for more than half of total wage employment in Asia); other countries had a much more mixed experience.

For example, Japan saw real wages fall nearly 2 percent in both 2008 and 2009. In the Philippines and Malaysia real wages fell by more than 4 percent in 2008, and in Thailand, they fell by almost 2 percent in 2009.

Globally, growth in average monthly wages slowed from 2.8 per cent in 2007 (the eve of the crisis) to 1.5 per cent in 2008 and 1.6 per cent in 2009. If China is excluded, the global average wage growth drops to 0.8 per cent in 2008 and 0.7 per cent in 2009.

The “Global Wage Report 2010/2011 — Wage Policies in Times of Crisis,” the second issued by the ILO on wages since 2008, analyzed data from 115 countries and territories, covering 94 percent of the approximately 1.4 billion wage earners worldwide. In Asia wage earners account for about 35 per cent of the employed population.

The report said that the overall short-term impact of the crisis on wages should be looked at within the context of a long-term decline in the share of wages in total income, a growing disconnect between productivity growth and wages, as well as widespread and growing wage inequality.

The largest part of this increase in inequality is due to top earners “flying away,” but another part was due to the “collapsing bottom,” where the gap between median and low-paid (defined as less than two-thirds of median wages) workers increased.

Many countries have seen an increase in the share of low-wage employment in the past 15 years, including Australia, China (among non-migrant workers), Indonesia, Japan, Korea and New Zealand and the Philippines.

In Korea 25 percent of full-time workers are now in low wage employment and in the Philippines 15 percent of all employees are in low wage employment.

Low pay also tends to be concentrated in certain groups, such as those with low education levels, insecure jobs, workers in small enterprises, youth, women and minorities — ethnically, racially or immigrants. In China migrant workers are more than three times as likely to be low paid than local workers.

The report added “there is a risk that a large number of people will feel left behind. This, in turn, may lead to increased social tensions, particularly if certain groups of people consider that they have paid a high price during the crisis while the benefits of the earlier expansionary period — and perhaps future recovery — have been unevenly shared.”

ILO director-general Juan Somavia said the study shows another face of the lingering employment crisis.

“The recession has not only been dramatic for the millions who lost their jobs, but has also affected those who remained in employment by severely reducing their purchasing power and their general well-being,” he said. --Danessa O. Rivera, Daily Tribune

Yahoo preparing to lay off 600 to 700 workers

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Yahoo Inc.'s holiday trimmings will include 600 to 700 layoffs in the Internet company's latest shake-up triggered by lackluster growth.

Employees could be notified of the job cuts as early as Tuesday, according to a person familiar with Yahoo's plans. The person asked for anonymity because Yahoo hadn't made a formal announcement.

The planned cutbacks represent about 5 percent of Yahoo's work force of 14,100 employees. It will mark Yahoo's fourth mass layoff in the past three years.

The latest two housecleanings have come under the company's current CEO, Carol Bartz, a Silicon Valley veteran hired nearly two years, despite a lack of experience on the Web or in advertising — Yahoo's main source of revenue.

This week's round of reductions is expected to be concentrated in Yahoo's U.S. products group, which already has been undergoing an overhaul since Bartz hired former Microsoft Corp. executive Blake Irving to run the division last spring.

The job cuts won't come as a shock. News of the looming layoffs was first reported last month by two popular technology blogs, TechCrunch and All Things Digital.

Yahoo's feeble financial growth, stagnant stock price and recent management defections have raised questions about whether Bartz herself might be shown the door before her contract expires in January 2013.

The company's revenue had edged up by less than 2 percent to $4.8 billion through the first nine months of the year, reflecting the difficulty Yahoo has had selling ads while other Internet companies such as Google Inc. and Facebook are thriving.



Google's revenue climbed 23 percent to nearly $21 billion through the first nine months of the year. Privately held Facebook doesn't disclose its results but it is growing so fast that it had to move into larger headquarters earlier this year.

Yahoo's stock price fell 31 cents to close Monday at $16.70, a few cents below where it ended last year. Meanwhile, the technology-driven Nasdaq composite index has risen by 16 percent so far this year.

The malaise has spurred speculation that opportunistic buyout firms might put together a takeover bid for Yahoo, possibly in partnership with another embattled Internet icon, AOL Inc.

Bartz, 62, has repeatedly insisted Yahoo, which is based in Sunnyvale, is heading in the right direction, although she has cautioned it might be another year or two before there's a significant improvement in the company's financial results.

Source: (philstar.com) Updated December 14, 2010 09:02 PM

BSP, labor tackle outsourcing issue

The Philippine Star) Updated December 14, 2010 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) are in the process of crafting new guidelines governing outsourcing of jobs in the banking industry.

The new guidelines are intended to harmonize the regulations on outsourcing currently covered by BSP Circular 268 and DOLE Department Order (DO) 18-02, which both contain conflicting provisions on outsourcing in the banking industry.

The move to craft new guidelines was prompted by grave concerns of the National Union of Bank Employees (NUBE) on the outsourcing of jobs of regular workers in the banking industry in the face of very liberal provisions in BSP Circular 268.

“Outsourcing has become rampant since the enactment of BSP Cir. 268 and has resulted in job losses,” NUBE national president Jose P. Umali Jr. said during a colloquium held recently.

Umali said that a NUBE survey indicates that 1,350 contract employees were hired by the banks polled, numerous types of jobs were being outsourced, and unions underscored the importance of conducting consultations prior to implementing outsourcing, among others.

During the colloquium on “What Makes a Bank a Bank” organized jointly by the Bureau of Labor Relations (BLR) and NUBE held recently, BSP managing director Johnny Noe Ravalo, outlined the seven proposed areas that “will effectively be deemed as inherent to a bank.”

These areas are deposit-taking, lending, management functions, activities covered by specific guideline/license, compliance functions, internal audit, and risk management. According to Ravalo, these areas are the core of the proposed revisions to the existing outsourcing framework.

Ravalo added that the BSP has already undertaken initiatives to review labor laws.

Under DO 18-02, contracting refers to a specific period or pre-determined period of time while outsourcing does not have restrictions with respect to timeframe. BSP Cir. 268 doesn’t distinguish between contracting and outsourcing.

In the same affair, the UP-School of Labor and Industrial Relations and the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) raised the need to promote ethical outsourcing, social dialogue, strong partnership between labor and management, and an efficient grievance machinery and adjudication system.

Philippines: Statement on asbestos delivered

10 December 2010: Manila, Philippines – Five levels below the ground. It was not a bomb shelter. The messengers were not carrying a bomb although their message was to defuse a different kind of bomb. It was the receiving section of the Canadian Embassy. Or so it was said.
The Associated Labor Unions (ALU), Building and Woodworkers International (BWI), ALLWEIS (informal sector workers organization) and Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) tried to deliver a statement against mining and exporting asbestos and the opening of an underground mine in Quebec, Canada, and get a brief response to it from the Embassy. The statement was in support of the Asian Delegation to Quebec appealing against the opening of the Jeffrey underground mine.

They delivered the statement. But the Embassy is on levels 6-8, above the ground!

In the receiving section

ALU, BWI, ALLWEIS and TUCP did not get a response either. The receiving section was a small room in a parking basement with glass walls covered by window blinds. The statement had to be inserted in an opening. The light inside the room switched on, the statement went inside and the signed receiving copy returned. A message on the glass said no asking of questions.

Out of nowhere came out a snappy-looking Canadian male in his early 20s. He walked fast to the ‘messengers’ despite carrying a fully-loaded back pack. He asked to confirm about the picture-taking at the Canadian emblem, said goodbye when told that it was for a souvenir and disappeared into the dim-lit receiving room.

Guarded

Going down five levels below the ground was not a walk in the park. Security guards initially barred activists, dressed in yellow t-shirts with slogans “Canada, close Jeffrey asbestos mine!” and “Asbestos kills! Ban Asbestos!”, from entering the building that houses the Canadian Embassy. The guards finally let two people deliver the statement after negotiation. A guard accompanied them, even in going to the toilet!

The activists showed their banners at the entrance to the building while three of their colleagues were negotiating with the guards. Additional guards came out of the building to keep an eye on them. The group dispersed after discussing what happened in the receiving section. And the guards went back to their comfort zones.

Defusing Canada’s time bomb

Thousands of people die every year from diseases caused by exposure to asbestos at work including in the building trades. Due to its long latency period, (sometimes over 30 years) the asbestos-related diseases are a ticking time bomb that will continue to kill for many more years.

Canada has the opportunity and responsibility to end the deadly asbestos legacy. Closing the asbestos mines, including Jeffery Mine, in Quebec will stop future exposure to the deadly chrysotile, minimizing the rise of deaths of innocent workers and their families and defusing the Canada time bomb.

Source:
Dominador M. Tuvera
Campaign Officer
Associated Labor Unions (ALU) - TUCP
Tel.: +632 922 2575; Cell.: +63 927 8095221
Email: dtuvera@gmail.com

PALEA says at least 70% voted to strike

December 8, 2010

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA), the flag carrier’s ground crew union, said on Wednesday morning that a majority of its members voted to go on strike to protest the airline’s alleged union busting and individual bargaining negotiations with its members.

PALEA president Gerry Rivera said that based on initial reports, more than 70% of their members voted “yes” to go on strike.

“There are now initial reports coming from different areas. Total yes votes are overwhelming,” Rivera announced.

The PALEA said a total of 26 ballot boxes have already been delivered to its main office in Manila. The group said they will wait for 10 more election returns to be delivered by 3 p.m. on Wednesday before counting the votes.

The union said a total of 3,552 members cast their votes during Tuesday’s balloting.

PAL management and Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz have said that the strike vote may be illegal. Baldoz had warned that PALEA should instead filed a formal appeal instead of the balloting.

PALEA, however, insisted that what’s pending before the Office of the President is the airline’s outsourcing plan, while the strike vote stems from a separate case of union busting and individual–rather than collective–bargaining negotiations.

Rivera said several members have already agreed to the individual bargaining and have received P50,000 gratuity pay.

Rivera, however, said the PALEA will not immediately conduct a massive strike even if the initial reports of overwhelming “yes” votes are confirmed in the final result.

He said the group will give the government and the PAL management 7 days to act on their demands before holding a strike.

He said that they are asking President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III to reverse the government’s earlier ruling which favors PAL’s plan to shut down the airport service catering and call center.

“Pero kung hindi maresolba ang lahat ng isyung ito, malamang matutuloy ang welga,” Rivera said.

Positive action

In a radio dzMM interview, Baldoz said she met with President Aquino and Executive Secretary Jojo Ochoa on Tuesday night, and there was an assurance of positive action from Malacañang.

She said President Aquino personally assigned Ochoa to handle the PAL labor dispute.

She added that Malacañang will ask for another meeting with representatives from the union and the PAL management.

Baldoz said the President still has not decided on PALEA’s petition.

Aside from affirming or junking the petition, the President may ask both camps to agree on a middle ground in order end the dispute.

If the strike pushes through, the labor chief said the government is prepared to provide assistance to those who will be affected.

Background

The current row between PAL management and the ground crew started in 2009 when management decided to outsource non-core operations to cut costs amid stiff industry competition.

Last October, Baldoz decided that outsourcing is a management prerogative, but requried PAL to increase the separation package for the 2,600 employees who will lose their jobs to P2.5 billion from P2 billion.

PAL accepted the requirements but PALEA did not. Eventually, PALEA officers accused PAL management of harassing its members into accepting the generous separation package.

PAL denied this and explained that it was the PALEA members who asked the Human Resources unit to start computing how much their separation packages are worth since the some PALEA members stand to receive up to P1 million each.

Malacañang, which earlier vowed not to get involved in the management-labor row at PAL, said President Aquino and the airline management had a “cordial meeting” last November to discuss the legal and economic reasons for the outsourcing move.

PALEA then filed another a strike notice at the NCMB and resumed regular street protests, eventually leading to Tuesday’s strike vote.

PAL is controlled by tycoon Lucio Tan. It has been dislodged by Gokongwei-led budget carrier Cebu Pacific in the domestic airline market but it remains the largest Philippine airline operating overseas. – with reports from Dominic Almelor and Alex Santos, ABS-CBN News

Binay pushes for HIV awareness drive among OFWs

Vice President Jejomar Binay on Thursday asked government agencies and concerned groups to help raise HIV awareness among overseas Filipino workers (OFW) amid the growing number of them infected with the deadly disease. “[Binay] is asking all concerned government agencies and OFW associations to work together to address the issue, with a concerted HIV-awareness drive as [...]

Posted: 02 Dec 2010 06:11 AM PST

Solon warns PNoy of impeach bid over RH agenda

A neophyte lawmaker on Wednesday warned President Benigno Aquino III he could be impeached for culpable violation of the Constitution should government distribute contraceptives that would later be found to induce abortion.

At the second hearing on the controversial Reproductive Health (RH) bill, Bacolod Rep. Anthony Golez noted that the Population Commission released P100 million and the Department of Health P400 million to purchase contraceptives, pills and intrauterine devices.

But Golez said, “Before we can even decide at all [on the bill] we have to decide whether or not the State, as enshrined in the Constitution, would protect the life of mother and unborn from moment of fertilization or conception?"

“We have to answer first, when does human life begin," Golez said, stressing that the House committee on population and family relations should prioritize discussions on this.

Those against the RH bill believe life begins at fertilization, or when a sperm cell fertilizes an egg cell. On the other hand, RH bill advocates believe life starts only when the fertilized egg is implanted onto the wall of the uterus.

Last week, Biliran Rep. Rogelio Espina, the head of the committee on population and family relations, told media the House will not rush the passage of the RH bill, citing the need to first thoroughly discuss the proposed legislation. (See: House will not rush passage of RH bill)

'President on the right track'

However, House minority leader Edcel Lagman, who authored one of several pending RH bills, disagreed and said, “I don’t think the President is risking any impeachment threat with respect to his steadfast advocacy on voluntary family planning and responsible parenthood."

“I think [Golez] was extrapolating too much on Constitutional issues and definitely the testimonies of those who are knowledgeable would be practically unanimous that these contraceptives are not abortifacients," Lagman said in a press conference.

“I think that the President is on the right track when he is steadfast on promoting responsible parenthood, which is part of our measure, and also in advocating freedom of choice with respect to contraceptive use," he said.

Responsible parenthood a ground to impeach?

In Malacañang, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte doubted there was a ground to impeach President Aquino.

"Impeachment of the President because of the RH bill? The President has already said na ang posisyon po natin d’yan [that his position on the matter] is for responsible parenthood. Hindi ko po alam kung saan po manggagaling doon sa posisyon ng responsible parenthood ang any ground for impeachment [I don’t how a stand for responsible parenthood can be a ground for impeachment]," said Valte, who is a lawyer.

Aquino is pushing for responsible parenthood, to thoroughly inform couples of their parenting responsibilities as well as their reproductive health choices.

In this approach, once the government has provided couples comprehensive information, it may also provide poor couples their chosen birth control method.—With Jam L. Sisante/MT/JV, GMANews.T

Tell Canadian Prime Minister Harper to stop exporting asbestos!

Voices on the Wall”
Tell Canadian Prime Minister Harper to stop exporting asbestos!
FACEBOOK: Post your message, photo or video on the Global Ban Asbestos Network (GBAN) Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/gbanAsbestos or email victims@gban.net to have your message posted. “Voices on the Wall” Flyer
Deadly Asbestos Facts:
Asbestos is a human carcinogen and there is no safe level of exposure.



Disregarding policies and scientific reports from the World Health Organization (WHO), International Labour Organization (ILO), and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC); Canada continues to export asbestos to the developing world.
Canada is the fourth biggest exporter after Russia, Kazakhstan and Brazil.
We urge Prime Minister Harper to stop the mining and exporting deadly asbestos to the developing world

Source:http://www.gban.net/?p=849
         

Philippine Update: Asbestos protest calls for Canada to close Jeffrey mine

Checking asbestos death facts: Judith Estavillo and Rolante Santos of ALU-TUCP December 1, 2010: Manila, Philippines – The Associated Labor Unions (ALU), the Building and Woodworkers International (BWI) and the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) asked Canada to close Jeffrey asbestos mine in Quebec in a protest around the Canadian Embassy in Manila in 25 November 2010. ALU, BWI and TUCP condemned the planned opening of an underground mine in Quebec. Bankrupt Jeffrey Mine got a new lease of life when an anonymous consortium of Indian investors agreed to inject fresh capital into its operations.

The new mine can export 200,000 tons of asbestos per year for the next 25 to 50 years to developing countries mostly in Asia including the Philippines. The protest was in response to the Embassy for not meeting the labor groups twice in a row this year.
The Canadian Embassy declined to meet the labor groups for the handover of the trade union statement pushing for asbestos ban and urging Canada to stop mining and exporting asbestos during the April 28 International Workers Memorial Day (IWMD).
The Embassy completely ignored the request during the October 7 World Day for Decent Work despite repeated follow ups.
This was part of a bigger protest in Makati’s Ayala Avenue about job contractualization and outsourcing in support of the Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA). 2,600 PALEA members stand to lose their jobs as the labor department affirmed PAL’s decision to outsource its non-core services. Some 2,500 from PALEA, ALU, TUCP and various labor groups joined the protest.

Dominador M. Tuvera,
Philippines@gban.net Campaign Officer Associated Labor Unions (ALU) – TUCP Tel.: +632 922 2575; Cell.: +63 927 8095221 Email: dtuvera@gmail.com Philippine Update: Asbestos protest calls for Canada to close Jeffrey mine is a post from: XXXX waiting