A new TUCP is born

The cavernous and historic Kalayaan Hall of Club Filipino was filled this time with workers from all walks of life. They came neither to denounce a government nor to install a new one. They gathered all 350 of them, to celebrate what they call a “New Dawn” in the tumultuous history of the Philippine labor movement. But like all important historical events, this one is not a walk in the park.

That was last Friday, March 16, when a majority of the original affiliates of the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines called a Special Convention to elect a new set of officers, admit new members, and throw away the legacy of treating trade unions as a family fiefdom, the splitting of federations to secure more votes in a convention and the harmful practice of union raiding.

Convention delegates

Because it was an ordinary working day, about a hundred delegates from Banco de Oro showed up wearing their uniforms: the girls in pin-striped black suits and the boys in light blue barong.

A dozen union officers from an electric cooperative in North Luzon went up the stairs of the historic club house where once strode their cabalen Cory Aquino when she was proclaimed head of a revolutionary government.

Sewers from a garments factory in Cabuyao, Laguna, arrived ahead of their colleagues from Metro Manila. A pack of port workers came wearing white shirts with the words “No to Dynasty, No to Mendoza Family!” painted front-and-back in dazzling red.

They were all there-drivers, cargo handlers, factory workers, public school teachers, college instructors, nurses, bar tenders, sales ladies, sugar planters, call center agents, home workers, and government employees.

Foreign guests

There were other prominent guests as well, both local and foreign.

Mr. Noriyuki Suzuki, general secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation-Asia Pacific (ITUC-AP) flew all the way from his office in Singapore to Manila to catch up with the opening ceremonies.

Speaking extemporaneously, the Japanese trade union executive, assured former Sen. Ernesto “Boy” Herrera and the delegates from 23 labor federations in attendance of ITUC-AP support for his “constitutional succession to the TUCP Presidency.” ITUC is the peak global confederation of national labor centers all over the world.

Mr. Christopher Ng, general secretary of Union International-Asia Pacific Regional Office (UNI-APRO), also came to deliver a much applauded speech.  Mr. Jens Aarup delivered a solidarity message on behalf of LO-FTF, the trade union center of Denmark.

A labor attaché from the Japanese Embassy and a senior program officer from the Manila Office of the International Labor Organization (ILO-Manila) also attended the opening program.

Special guests

Scattered about the huge convention hall, were Roni Diaz, former Director General of the National Manpower & Youth Council and Executive Director of the Congressional Oversight of the Committee on Labor and Employment; Dr. Rene Ofreneo, former Undersecretary of Labor and Dean of the UP-School of Labor and Industrial Relations;  Atty. Sonny Matula, former Social Security System Commissioner, now president of the Federation of Free Workers; and Antonio Isidro Asper, a member of the Board of Trustees of TESDA.

Robert Ella, the Information Officer of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines was also seen among the crowd.

FFW Pres. Sonny Matula, a lawyer with authority to administer oath, officiated the oath-taking of the new set of officers of the TUCP elected to serve a term of five years beginning 2012.

Another highlight of the half-day event was the “soft launch” of the “anti-sweatshops” organizing project of the TUCP and the Solidarity Center. Mr. Jimmy Davis, Country Program Director of the American Center for International Labor Solidarity (Solidarity Center) sent a message that was read to the convention floor.

The numbers game

Before the much-publicized “split” last year, the General Council of the TUCP had 23 members. Twenty one came from the heads of the national unions and two were ex-officio members representing Women and Youth committees.

Majority of the members of the General Council stayed with Senator Herrera when the once monolithic labor center split into two camps.

Eight national unions and two local unions opted to join the group of Kito Mendoza while 13 national unions sided with Boy Herrera with one federation of government unable to make a decision yet. The leader of this group is said to have good relations with both Mendoza and Herrera, making it difficult for her to make the choice.

Last Friday, seven more national and industry unions were inducted as new members. Two more applications for membership were conditionally approved subject to the submission of affiliation requirements.

The true leader

Herrera’s bid to become the true leader of the TUCP can no longer be legitimately challenged with the entry of three or four more national unions in the next few weeks. The same thing cannot be said of the group of Mendoza who has failed to solicit the support of other labor organizations.

Jose “Jun” Umali of the National Union of Bank Employees, the biggest union in the banking industry, was elected new TUCP General Secretary.

Elected new TUCP President, amidst a thunderous applause, was former Senator and TUCP General Secretary Ernesto “Boy” Herrera. He said he could not stand from his chair to acknowledge the cheers “for obvious reasons.”

The new TUCP president walks on crutches but is not known to walk away from a fight.

Mr. Diwa is the president of the National Labor Union and a member of the National Wages and Productivity Commission.

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