Keppel union members strike anew

CEBU, Philippines – The simmering discontent escalated into open protest as members of Keppel union have launched another strike starting early morning yesterday following the strike of Paul Yu workers.

Partido ng Manggagawa-Cebu spokesperson Dennis Derige said workers of Taiwanese-owned lampshade factory Paul Yu at the Mactan Export Processing Zone are now on their fifth day of a work stoppage in support of seven suspended union leaders, while the Keppel labor dispute has been ongoing for over four months now.

“The state must act today with dispatch on the workers just demands or else it will have to face a full-blown workers rebellion tomorrow. We want the government to get busy with social protection for the workers instead of term extension for GMA,” Derige said.

The other day, at least 80 Keppel workers barged into the shipyard after a month of forced leave.

Derige said the company security guards tried to prevent the workers from entering the shipyard as their forced leave has been extended for another month.

But the workers were able to force their way into the shipyard.

In a dialogue with the management, members of the Keppel union opposed the extension of their forced leave by another 30 days.

As a result of disagreement between the two parties, the shipyard workers went on strike, alleging that the management resorted to union busting. As of yesterday, they continue to picket outside the shipyard facilities.

“One month is too long for our families to go hungry and sacrifice for management’s mistaken if not malicious decision to shift from ship repair to ship building. If Keppel will not open the shipyard for work then we ask the government to takeover the facilities and we will continue with the profitable ship repair work,” said Roger Igot, president of Nagkahiusang Mamumuo sa Baradero Keppel Shipyard-National Federation of Labor.

Willy Dondoyano, head of Paul Yu Workers Association, on the other hand, appealed for support from other export zone workers.

“We ask for the support of our fellow workers inside the export zone. We all suffer the same violations of labor standards and repression of labor rights. Let us join hands in a common struggle for workers rights and welfare,” he added. — Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon/LPM (THE FREEMAN)