Akbayan Party List
Press Release
10 November 2015
Akbayan party-list today challenged Senator Bongbong Marcos to go beyond soundbites on labor contractualization saying his track record shows he has not initiated any legislation to protect workers’ job security.
“Sen. Marcos is quick to denounce the same government he is a part of but one wonders what he has actually done for workers’ rights,” said Akbayan President and spokesperson Machris Cabreros. “His 6-year stint at the Senate shows he has no track record whatsoever in favour of workers.”
“Instead, Sen. Marcos was nowhere to be found in pushing for the passage of a security of tenure law which has been languishing in the legislative mill for years,” said Cabreros.
“Despite the constitutional provision on security of tenure, there is a need for an enabling law to protect workers from arbitrary job security as existing legislation is weak to respond to endless renewals under the 5-5-5-scheme,” she explained.
“This measure would ensure that workers not only get to keep their jobs, they would also be able to organize and collectively bargain as they need not fear reprisal from employers,” Cabreros added. “rights which, ironically, were dramatically eroded during Martial Law when workers’ strikes and assemblies were violently dispersed in the name of the Bagong Lipunan’s illusory growth.”
“According to his own webite, Sen. Marcos’s only prominent bill on labor is the one on the creation of an inter-agency council for jobs creation, which even contains a problematic provision that mandates the proposed body to recommend policies to remove hindrances for the establishment of business enterprises, which means unions,” said Cabreros. ”So Marcos’ newfound concern for workers is highly suspect.”
Akbayan kay Bongbong: wag gamiting PR ang mga obrero
Hinamon ngayon ng Akbayan partylist si Sen. Bongbong Marcos na itigil ang paggamit sa mga manggagawa ukol sa isyu ng kontraktwalisasyon.
“Madaling bumanat sa gubyerno na saan siya mismo ay kabahagi, ngunit ano ang ginawa ni Sen. Marcos sa loob ng anim na taon upang isulong ang karapatan ng mga manggagawa?” tanong ni Machris Cabreros, Presidente ng Akbayan.
“Kailangan ng isang batas na magdedetalye sa seguridad sa trabaho dahil mahina pa ang Labor Code para labanan ang 5-5-5 scheme,” dagdag ni Cabreros. “Ngunit walang papel na ginampanan si Marcos sa pagsusulong ng security of tenure bill na matagal nang nakabinbin sa lehislatura.”
“Kung may kaseguruhan sa trabaho mas madaling makakapag-organisa at makapag-negosasyon ang mga obrero para magkaroon ng collective bargaining agreements,” paliwanag ni Cabreros, “mga karapatan na nilusaw ng diktatura noong 70s sa ngalan ng ilusyon ng pagunlad sa ilalim ng Bagong Lipunan.”
“Ang nagiisang panukalang batas ni Marcos sa pagtatayo ng Inter-Agency Council on Jobs Creation ay problematiko dahil may probisyon itong nagsasabing ang mandato ng naturang Council ay tanggalin ang mga balakid sa pgtatayo ng negosyo, na ang ibig sabihin ay mga unyon,” ani Cabreros. “Kaya kaduda-duda ang biglaang pagaalala ni Marcos sa karapatan ng mga obrero.”
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