The Alliance of Progressive Labor (APL) and its allied organizations representing workers in different sectors and spread throughout the country today announced its support for a “Labor Agenda,” which it would propose to national and local candidates in exchange for the votes of its members.

The Labor Agenda, written in a memorandum of agreement format, will be presented soon to presidential bet. A version for aspirants for congressional, senatorial and local posts, including party-list groups, will likewise be formulated.

Josua Mata, secretary general of the Alliance of Progressive Labor (APL), disclosed that “each of the coalition partners will actively encourage its members and supporters to vote for those who would commit to the ‘agenda,’” adding that they “will continue to join forces even after the elections to put pressure on the new government to fully implement the Labor Agenda.”

The Labor Agenda was crafted by 26 labor organizations with diverse ideological orientations – labor centers, confederations, federations, national unions and alliances –crafted this Labor Agenda after a series of intense critiquing among them, which started last month.

Far from the usual motherhood statements, the Labor Agenda identifies specific programs aimed at promoting security of tenure and quality jobs for all or full employment, improving labor justice, strengthening the protection of labor and trade union rights, and advancing the more general economic and social justice.

Banding together and creating the Labor Agenda was in response to the pathetic situation where the issues and concerns of the workers are barely discussed in the election campaign resulting to people trooping again to the polls without a clear idea of what they could expect from their candidates after being elected, the coalition said.

Some of the programs or provisions cited in the Labor Agenda are to certify as urgent the Security of Tenure Bill for the private sector workers as well as a counterpart bill for public sector employees; to limit the assumption of jurisdiction powers of the Secretary of Labor; to strictly align the country’s labor policies especially with the ILO Conventions; among others.

Signatories of the Labor Agenda are Alliance of Coca-Cola Unions-Philippines (ACCUP), Alliance of Progressive Labor (APL), Automotive Industry Workers’ Alliance (AIWA), Confederation of Independent Unions in the Public Sector (CIU), Kapisanan ng mga Manggagawa sa Government Financial Institutions (KAMAGFI), Kapisanan ng Maralitang Obrero (KAMAO), Kongreso ng Pagkakaisa ng mga Manggagawa sa Pilipinas (KPMP), Lakas Manggagawa Labor Center (LMLC).

League of Independent Bank Organizations (LIBO), Liga Manggagawa (LM), Nagkaisang Lakas ng mga Manggagawa (NLM), National Alliance of Broadcast Unions (NABU), National Confederation of Transportworkers’ Unions (NCTU), National Federation of Labor (NFL), National Federation of Labor Unions (NAFLU), National Labor Union (NLU).

National Union of Bank Employees (NUBE), National Union of Building and Construction Workers (NUBCW), National Union of Workers in Hotel, Restaurant and Allied Industries (NUWHRAIN), Philippine Metalworkers’ Alliance (PMA), Pinag-isang Tinig at Lakas ng Anakpawis (PIGLAS), Postal Employees Union of the Philippines (PEUP), Public Services Labor Independent Confederation (PSLINK), and Workers’ Solidarity Network (WSN).

Major labor unions and federations want workers’ representatives to be appointed as undersecretary in key government agencies like the Labor, Trade, Housing, Transportation and Environment Departments to ensure transparency particularly in areas affecting the labor sector.

This is among the labor unities agreed upon by 26 labor groups and alliances to be presented to leading presidential candidates. Together, these groups represent at least 300,000 members nationwide. The said common labor agenda will be the highlight of their joint Labor Day celebration on May 1.

Frank Mero spokespersons of the labor alliance, said that workers’ issues should be among the top priorities of the new government. “It is high time for candidates to go beyond the rhetoric of poverty alleviation and give a more concrete program of action to ensure employment and decent work condition for the working class,” Mero emphasized.

Among the other demands for policy reforms are those that concern security of tenure and workers’ protection against corporate restructuring in the public and private sectors.  Likewise, the labor groups demand that “trade, monetary, fiscal and industrial policies are directed at quality job creation within the country so that working abroad will become a matter of choice rather than of necessity.”

In a joint declaration, the labor groups demand that the new government should give priority to workers’ rights and welfare – which includes demand for a full and impartial investigation of cases that violated trade union and human rights, as well as the enactment of executive measures to ensure that civil and political rights of workers are protected.

The joint declaration also includes social reforms such as full implementation of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program- Extension with Reforms (Carper), the modification of the Urban Development and Housing Act of 1992 and a more equitable allocation of the IRA.

“We challenge all national candidates to adopt this labor agenda as their part of their platform which will serve as the basis for workers’ support to their candidacies,” Mero said.

The major labor centers endorsing the labor agenda are the Alliance of Progressive Labor (APL), Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP), Kongreso ng Pagkakaisa ng Manggagawa sa Pilipinas (KPMP), Lakas Manggaggawa Labor Center (LMLC) and Manggagawa para sa Kalayaan ng Bayan (MAKABAYAN).

Major labor organization, federations and industry alliances also endorsed the agenda. They are the Philippine Metalworkers’ Alliance (PMA), Alliance of Coca-Cola Unions in the Philippines (ACCUP), Automotive Industry Workers’ Alliance (AIWA), Confederation of Independent Unions in the Public Sector (CIU), Fortune Tobacco Labor Union (FTLU), Kapisanan ng mga Manggagawa sa GFIs (KAMAGFI), Kapisanan ng mga Maralitang Obrero (KAMAO), League of Independent Bank Organizations (LIBO), Liga Mangagagawa, Nagkaisang Lakas ng mga Manggagawa (NLM), Metro East Labor Federation (MELF), National Alliance of Broadcast Unions (NABU), National Confederation of Transport Workers’ Unions (NCTU), National Federation of Labor (NFL), National Federation of Labor Unions (NAFLU), National Labor Union (NLU), National Union of Bank Employees (NUBE), National Union of Building and Construction Workers (NUBCW), National Union of Workers in Hotel Restaurants and Allied Industries (NUWHRAIN), Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA), Partido ng Mangagagawa (PM), Pinag-isang Tinig at Lakas ng Anak Pawis (PIGLAS), Postal Employees Union of the Philippines (PEUP), Public Services Labor Independent Confederation (PSLINK), Solidarity of Unions for Empowerment and Reforms (SUPER FED), United Cavite Workers’ Association (UCWA) and Workers’ Solidarity Network (WSN).

Itigil ang Panunupil sa Sibil Pulitikal na Karapatang Pantao!

Palayain ang 43 “Health Workers”! Palayain ang lahat ng Bilanggong Pulitikal!

Apatnapu’t tatlong (43) mangagawang pangkalusugan (health workers) ang karagdagan sa mahabang listahan ng biktima ng paglabag sa karapatang pantao sa ilalim ng pamumuno ni Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.  Isang pahabol sa kanyang terminong patapos.

Apatnapu’t tatlong (43) tagapagtanggol ng karapatang pantao nanaman ang minarkahang rebelde at kalaban ng pamahalaan.  Ang apatnap’t tatlong (43) ito rin na dadagdag sa 258 na mga aktibistang kasalukuyang nakapiit, ang kinakasuhan ng kriminal o kaya ay terorismo. Isang diskarteng mapaniil upang tuluyan ang pagkakulong at supilin ang katunggaling pampulitikang paniniwala.

Naninindigan ang Free All Political Prisoners and Political Detainees Campaign Network na isang tahasang paglabag sa karapatang sibil pulitikal ng 43 “Health Workers” ang naganap na ilegal na pag-aresto sa kanila nitong nakaraang ika-6 ng Pebrero 2010 sa isang training center sa Morong rizal.

Ang kawalan ng warrant of arrest at pagtatanim ng ebidensya ay gawi ng AFP sa mga taong nais nitong idiin, na malinaw na paglabag sa kanilang karapatang pantao.

Sadyang kampante na makalulusot ang militar at pulis, sapagkat matapos ikulong sa Kampo Capinpin ay ilang araw na ipinagkait sa mga biktima na makita man lang ng mga kaanak, ng abogado at maging ng Commission on Human Rights (CHR).  Ito ay sa kabila ng kapapasa lamang na batas laban sa tortyur o sa anumang marahas at di  makataong pagtrato o pagpaparusa.

Ang sinapit ng 43 health workers ay nagpapakita sa sistematikong paglabag ng AFP sa dapat sana’y nirerespeto at itinataguyod na mga karapatang sibil at pulitikal na  ginagarantiya ng Konstitusyon.

Pinapakita lamang na sa larangan ng pagtataguyod ng karapatang pantao ay salat ang sandatahang lakas bagkus walang pangingimi na pangatwiranan ang kanilang kondukta sa kabila ng pagkakaroon ng batas laban sa tortyur

Matagal nang kinilala sa daigdig na ang pagwawalang-bahala at paglalapastangan sa mga karapatan ng tao ay nagbubunga ng mga gawang di makatao na humahamak sa budhi ng sangkatauhan tulad ng isinasaad sa UDHR.

Ang paglabag sa due process, deprivation of liberty, tortyur at iba pang indignidad na dinaan ng mga biktima ay walang lugar sa isang demokrasya. At ang mga tagapagtaguyod ng ganitong mga paglabag , kung gayon, ay hindi dapat hayaang mamayagpag.

Hindi rin makatwiran ang pinapahayag ng alegasyon ng mga kawani ng sandatahan lakas na ang panggagamot sa mga kasapi ng NPA ay isang kasalanan.  Kanila atang nakakaligtaan na ang karapatang magamot ng mga sugatan at may sakit kahit sa gitna giyera ay iginagalang sa buong mundo.

Walang puwang ang tortyur at iba pang pagpapahirap at di makataong pagpaparusa  sa isang demokratikong lipunan.

At lahat ay may karapatang ituring na walang-sala hangga’t di napapatunayang nagkasala, gayundin ang karapatan magkaroon ng abogado at karapatang maipagtanggol ang kanyang sarili laban sa anumang akusasyon o pagkakasala.

Lahat ng ito’y dapat tinamasa ng 43 health workers nuong ika 6 ng Pebrero ngunit patuloy na pinagkakait sa kanila.  At bilang Commander in Chief ng sandatahang lakas, ang ultimong may pananagutan sa ganitong mga paglabag ay si GMA, na sa kanyang pananahimik ay nangangahulugang pagkandili sa ganitong kalakaran.

Pinananawagan at pinaninindigan ng Free All Political Prisoners and Political Detainees Campaign Network na hindi dapat pinalalagpas at dapat mapanagot ang nakakawilihang paglabag sa karapatang pantao ng mga kawani ng sandatahang lakas.

Dapat itigil ang mga iligal na pagarestong katulad ng sa Morong 43. Igiit at ipagtanggol ang karapatan ng lahat ng mamamayan sa pantay ng pagtingin ng hukom at hustisya.

Itigil ang panggigipit sa mga tagapagtanggol ng karapatang pantao!

Itigil ang represyon at panunupil ng lahat ng karapatang pantao!

Ipataw ang kaparusahang batay sa RA 9745 o Anti-torture Act sa mga mapapatunayang lumabag dito!

Palayain ang Morong 43! Palayain ang lahat ng bilanggong Pulitiklal!

Ika-19 ng Pebrero 2010

FREE ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS & POLITICAL DETAINEES CAMPAIGN NETWORK

Alliance of Progressive Labor (APL);

Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines (AMRSP);

Balay Rehabilitation Center, Inc.(BALAY); Bukluran ng Mangagawang Pilipino (BMP);

Freedom of Four Political Detainees in MCJ (F4)

Families of Victims of Involuntary Disappearance (FIND);

KAPATID; Kilusan para sa Pambansang demokrasya (KPD);  Medical Action Group (MAG);

Moro Human Rights Center (MHRC); Nuclear Free Bataan Movement-Network (NFBM-Net);

Partnership for Agrarian Reform and Rural Development Services (PARRDS);

Partido ng Lakas ng Masa (PLM); Partido ng Manggagawa (PM);

Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA);

REHAS; Samahan ng Demokratikong Kabataan (SDK); SALINLAHI; SANLAKAS;

Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP); Youth for Nationalism and Democracy (YND);

Youth for Rights (Y4R)