THE PHILIPPINE Airlines Employees Association (PALEA) testified against the national government at a hearing in Washington in a labor issue which could jeopardize the preferential tariff rates enjoyed by Filipino exporters through a US trade development scheme.
The testimony came as the United States Trade Representative (USTR) office performed on Tuesday a routine review of the Philippines’ status as a beneficiary of the US Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), the labor group said in a statement yesterday.
Manila, for its part, sent a high-level delegation to Washington DC to respond to the labor rights case which was first filed against the Philippines in 2007.
“PALEA presents a significant case in reviewing whether or not the Philippines has taken or is taking steps to afford workers their internationally recognized rights. We submit that the Philippine government has abused its power to assume jurisdiction of strikes thereby curtailing workers’ rights to freely organize and bargain collectively,” PALEA president Gerry Rivera said at the overseas hearing, as quoted in the labor group’s statement yesterday.
“PALEA was not allowed to strike on two crucial occasions to protest the mass termination of some 2,600 workers and yet Philippine Airlines (PAL) was permitted to proceed with the layoff despite a pending case at the Court of Appeals,” he continued.
The GSP, which US President Barack Obama renewed in November, grants eligible developing and least developed economies affordable access to the American market in a bid to stimulate domestic productivity among America’s partner countries.
Over 4,800 products from 129 beneficiary countries can enter the US duty-free through the preferential scheme.
The trade assistance, however, requires such countries to take effective steps toward upgrading and implementing its labor standards. Otherwise, developing economies stand to lose preferential treatment for their products, as in the case of Belarus which was suspended in 2000 for failing to protect workers’ rights to association and collective bargaining. — Eliza J. Diaz, Businessworld
Sept 5 – Oct 5
National Teachers Month
“Pay teachers decent wages,
Pay attention to teachers!”
Invoke Article 33 of the ILO Constitution
against the military junta in Myanmar
to carry out the 2021 ILO Commission of Inquiry recommendations
against serious violations of
Forced Labour and Freedom of Association protocols.
Accept National Unity Government (NUG)
of Myanmar. Reject Military!
#WearMask #WashHands
#Report Corruption #SearchPosts #TakePicturesVideos
September
Monthly Observances:
Health, Safety, and Sanitation Month
Clean-up Month
Civil Service Month
National Peace Consciousness Month
Social Security Month
Rule of Law Month
National Teachers’ Month (Sept 5-Oct 5)
Weekly Observances:
Sept 17 – 23:
World Clean and Green Week
Week 2: Education Week
Week 4: Medicine Week
Last Week: Family Week
Daily Observances:
Third Saturday: International Coastal Clean-up Day
Third Monday: World Health Day
Last Friday: National Maritime Day
Sept 8: National Literacy Day
Sept 15: Philippine Medicine Day
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
