Four were killed this year in an intensifying attack on workers and unionists in the Philippines

At the dusk of Arroyo’s nine-year presidency, human rights violations against workers and trade unions heighten.  Four unionists, workers and advocates were murdered, one tortured to death this year, five were abducted and remain missing and thousands were harassed and threatened since she assumed presidency in 2001. Amidst these intensified attacks, in this year for instance, 51, 000 workers were displaced at the onset of global financial crisis, salaries were frozen, benefits were cut and work hours extended for those who were fortunate to have jobs.

So, in this years’ International Human Rights Day, there isn’t much to celebrate except for the continuing will to protest and fight for basic human rights.  The CTUHR’s 2009 Interim Report on the state of workers’ rights in the Philippines, noted striking increase in human rights violations. Following is the report summary.

Killings persist as other violations shoot up

In this year alone, CTUHR documented 270 new cases of human rights violations – a 23% increase compared to last year’s 218. One hundred twelve or 41.4% of these violations are civil and political rights in nature  that affected 1 509 workers. This included four cases of extra judicial killings and a case of induced stroke to labor leaders namely: Sabina Ariola,  leader of urban poor and informal workers organization   from Laguna; Carlito Dacudao, Edwin Oyeman and Reynaldo Bucaling all from National Federation of Sugar Workers (NFSW) in Negros; and Danilo Belano, organizer who suffered stroke while in the custody of alleged Intelligence Service of Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) personnel in Manila.

Belano’s case was the first recorded involving ISAFP operations in the heart of Manila.

Also recorded were two cases of failed assassination plot of two labor leaders namely, Adelaida Calosa , companion of  Ariola and Joel Ascutia, a leader of transport workers in Bicol..

Razel and Jason Pelayo,  NFSW members were abducted and disappeared since May, while  Felicidad Caparal, an organizer of Agricultural workers Union in Leyte, was abducted went missing and surfaced a week later,   then charged with murder.

Not only do the workers civil liberties went under attacks but also their basic livelihood. CTUHR documented 158 cases of socio-economic violations that affected 53 713.  This is a partial count, as monitoring in other areas such economic enclaves and non-unionized plantations remains difficult.

Criminalization doubles

Legal offensives through criminalization of labor groups and leaders also intensified this year. CTUHR monitored 12 trumped-up cases against union and labor leaders which are either anti-insurgency (Oplan Bantay Laya) campaign related --  linking the legitimate labor leaders as members of the New People’s Army (NPA)--  labor-dispute related – charging workers with common crimes during the process of union election or protest activities.

The worst case that CTUHR has encountered during the year is the continuing detention of 20 workers from Karnation Industries/Pansy Accessories who were slapped with serious illegal detention by the company in the course of the strike in 2007. Two of the workers died from acquired tuberculosis inside the jail, without even receiving medical attention.

Cases of harassments declined by 18% compared with last year. However, the 26 cases recorded proved to be more vicious as these involved not only individuals but entire labor organizations. For instance, soldiers from the 36^th and 58^th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army and an armed personnel carrier (APC tank) were deployed to watch over the picket line of workers in Agusan Palm Oil Plantation in Mindanao.  In Dole Philippines in South Cotabato, soldiers were deployed while the number of troops in Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac was increased.  Even the new Cebu office of CTUHR remains under surveillance, and volunteer is constantly followed while doing his human rights work close to  Mactan Economic Zone.

Economic recession deepens workers exploitation

More than 51, 521 workers from 88 companies, primarily from Southern Tagalog and Cebu were displaced from October 2008 to October 2009 due to global economic crisis. Unemployment rose to 7.6% from 7.4% last year. Flexible labor schemes (such as forced leaves, compressed workweek) was further deepened and legitimized by Labour department’s issuance of its DOLE Advisory # 2. As early as March 2009, more than 60, 000 workers were affected while wages and benefits of workers are more compromised. Workers reported to CTUHR that some factories offer applicants below minimum wage – only 232Php and even as low as 180Php, less than half of 383Php (US$8.30) prescribed minimum wage citing devastation of typhoon Ondoy as reason..

No wage increase was granted this year despite the continued inflation (2-3%) of basic commodities, and price control was lifted even if recovery from typhoon Ondoy and Pepeng was just starting. As December begins, oil companies hurriedly increase pump prices of  gas, in a desperate move to recovered delayed gains from imposed price control.

Unions, Systematically Dismantled and Weakened

More than any other year, trade unions faced the heaviest blow on its ranks this year.  Flexible work arrangements such as contractual, casual, apprenticeship, and outsourcing decimate regular employment while rapidly expanding the informal sector.  Wage and salary workers – the traditional base of trade unions—for example only comprise 51% of the 35 million employed Filipinos thus leaving the rest as part of the informal sector.

In the workplace, officers of budding unions were systematically dismissed,   leaders and organizers were charged with bogus crimes and old ones were kicked out as companies closed down.  In fact, 12 unions were busted affecting 2 862 union members.

These factors contributed to the continuing decline of trade unions in the country. In fact, only 10.76% of the entire wage and salary workers or 5.5% or the entire working population are union members.  Out of this figure, only 10.79% of those in unions or 211 000 workers are covered by the collective bargaining agreement,  a 0.58%  decrease from 219 000 members covered by CBA last year. This reality has further weakened the capacity of individual and organized workers alike to fight for their rights and uplift themselves.

Intensify the Struggle

Amidst the heap of state and capital sponsored attacks, the labor movement is challenged to defend itself and intensify the struggle for the millions of unorganized workers.  The quest for justice for the victims of extrajudicial killings, abduction and enforced disappearance must continue. The comings months will be far more challenging and the political situation will be more unstable. As the gruesome details of massacre in Maguindanao uncover the dirty tactics of election maneuverings and overwhelming power that can decide election winners, workers and the people will be hard pressed to watch and to act. Let not the lives of 57 victims in the countries most heinous political violence be reduced to statistics by the another force and violence that Arroyo’s martial law could deliver against the people, all under the name of supposedly suppressing rebellion in the offing#.