Aquino urged to address labor woes

Manila, Philippines – The Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) yesterday called on the Aquino government and employers to liberate workers from “labor woes” in celebration of today’s Independence Day.

“We are reiterating our call on President Aquino not just to create employment, but to make sure that all workers have equal access to opportunities and are subjected to conditions meeting labor standards, promotive of worker productivity, and that provides job and social security,” said ALU national vice president Gerard Seno.

He said the government needs to turn the country’s dismal performance in terms of respect for workers’ rights to organize, collective bargaining and genuine tripartism.

The group complained that while the country commemorates the Independence Day, most Filipinos face problems like unemployment, underemployment, retrenchment, illegal dismissal, contractualization, increase in workload, non-compliance of minimum wage, sub-standard work conditions, non-remittance of social security contributions, abuse in apprenticeship programs and rising prices of goods and services.

“As if the above-mentioned realities are not enough, unions have long struggled with general anti-labor attitude of some unenlightened employers and government officials,” Seno added. –Sheila Crisostomo (The Philippine Star)