RP port officials blamed for labor woes

MANILA, Philippines- Striking workers of a major harbor North of Manila blamed officials of the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) for the fiasco in the takeover of the North Harbour, the premier capital’s most busy seaport.

In a press statement emailed to this author, Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU-May First Movement) chairperson Elmer Labog blamed General Manager Oscar Sevilla and PMO-North Harbour Manager Constante T. Fariñas for strike that resulted to violent dispersal and injury of port workers who barricaded the main entrance of the Manila seaport yesterday.

In a follow up interview, Labog recalled that representatives of the Manila North Harbour Port Terminal, Inc., in its talks with KMU representatives and port workers, had earlier offered to provide financial assistance to the affected port workers in the amount equivalent to 26 days pay per year of service. It was even clarified that the financial assistance would be on top of the payment for past services which could still be claimed by the port workers.

The labor leader insisted all along that the payment for past services was a primary responsibility of the PPA and the cargo handlers.

“However, the PPA officials have apparently taken advantage of the situation to extricate themselves from the responsibility by brokering a deal with discarded leaders by converting the payment offer to make it appear that this was an advance payment for past services,” Labog said.

The KMU official said the management suddenly came out with a hastily made agreement without consulting the workers. “The agreement was shrouded in secrecy and no public copy of its complete text has been released by PPA. With the available information in press releases and reports, it has become certain that the farcical agreement certainly fell short of the workers’ minimum expectations,” Labog lamented.

The KMU sserted the workers’ victory was partially negated with separation pay rate computations at less than that provided in the collective bargaining agreements. The length of service was also computed only up to 2000 instead of their actual work record. Moreover, there is no clear indication that the terms and conditions of the present collective bargaining agreements will be respected.

KMU condemned the underhanded manner by which the bogus deal was concluded and is a total sell-out of the workers’ benefits.

The activist labor center also assailed the violent dispersal of protesting port workers yesterday in the port area by the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) and the Philippine National Police. The workers were protesting the apparent treachery committed by discredited leader. “Yesterday’s violent dispersal and forced takeover clearly illustrates the government’s direct hand in facilitating privatization schemes for the benefit of big businesses.”

“Instead of protecting workers’ rights, the PPA has sought to extricate itself from responsibilty of a privatization scheme which placed the workers’ interest last and has even led the police in booting out workers from their work sites during the takeover,” Labog said.

KMU also urged Manila North Harbour Port Inc. (MNHPI), the new operator of North Harbor in Manila which formally took over the port on Sunday, to ensure the port workers’ job security and recognize existing terms of employment in the port.
KMU said MNHPI should respect the workers’ gains in their decades-old struggle for job security in the port.

“We urge the MNHPI to uphold the port workers’ job security and avoid job cuts as much as possible as it takes over the port terminal. At the same time, we urge port workers to remain keen on the new operator’s moves with regard to labor,” said KMU chairperson Elmer “Bong” Labog.

“The struggle for job security definitely does not end with the private consortium’s takeover. It will be a continuing battle for all port workers in North Harbor,” he added.# –Carlo Malingat and Gerry Albert Corpuz