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Labor in 2009: Joblessness, Rights Violations, Violence Confronted Filipino Workers

Labor in 2009: Joblessness, Rights Violations, Violence Confronted Filipino Workers

By MARYA SALAMAT
The year 2009 began, ended and paved the way to 2010 with the festering problem of joblessness for millions of Filipinos. The global financial crisis only revealed the stark reality of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s inherently flawed job-generation strategies. The Arroyo regime fell short of its employment target. Worse, thousands of jobs, especially in the export industry, were "massacred" in 2009 even as unionists faced violence, intimidation and murder.

| Dec 31, 2009

Solons, Drivers Ask SC to Void Anomalous RFID Project

Solons, Drivers Ask SC to Void Anomalous RFID Project

By MARYA SALAMAT
Progressive solons and the members of Piston have asked the Supreme Court to declare as “unconstitutional and illegal” the Land Transportation Office's controversial radio frequency identification (RFID) project. They also asked the Supreme Court to issue a temporary restraining order and/or preliminary injunction to prevent the project's full implementation come January 10, 2010.

| Dec 20, 2009

Attacks on Workers Persist as ILO Keeps Mum on Arroyo’s Accountability in Abuses

Attacks on Workers Persist as ILO Keeps Mum on Arroyo’s Accountability in Abuses

By MARYA SALAMAT
Two months after the International Labor Organization conducted a fact-finding mission in the Philippines, labor-rights violations escalate in the Philippines, as highlighted by the death of Danilo Belano, a long-time labor organizer, who died while being tailed and harassed by military agents.

| Dec 6, 2009

Ampatuan Massacre Highlights Continuing Violence Vs Women: Gabriela Women’s Party

Ampatuan Massacre Highlights Continuing Violence Vs Women: Gabriela Women’s Party

By MARYA SALAMAT
The commemoration of the International Day to Eliminate Violence Against Women (VAW) in the Philippines got a piercing highlight in the Ampatuan massacre that occurred two days before the anti-VAW's day last week. “What happened in Maguindanao underscored the vulnerability of women amid fierce struggles as in an electoral struggle,” Gabriela partylist representative and aspiring senator Liza Maza said.

| Nov 30, 2009

Why Workers Abhor Assumption of Jurisdiction (AJ) orders

Why Workers Abhor Assumption of Jurisdiction (AJ) orders

By MARYA SALAMAT
Unlike other post-martial law administrations that used assumption of jurisdictions (AJ) mostly to quell already ongoing strikes, the Arroyo regime has used these orders not only to quell ongoing strikes but also to make sure workers cannot strike at all. As a result, fewer strikes have been recorded, allowing Arroyo to claim that “industrial peace” is improving. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

| Nov 23, 2009

Arroyo’s Price Caps Further Expose ‘Greed’ of Oil Firms, Underscore Need to Repeal Oil Deregulation Law

Arroyo’s Price Caps Further Expose ‘Greed’ of Oil Firms, Underscore Need to Repeal Oil Deregulation Law

By MARYA SALAMAT
Despite its limitations, the oil-price caps have irked Big Business and their think tanks and they have been lobbying to have it lifted. Fearing EO 839 could set a dangerous precedent to its business, Shell even filed a case in court against Arroyo’s order. But consumers and critics say that if Arroyo is really sincere in protecting consumers, she should use her power to have the Oil Deregulation Law repealed.

| Nov 14, 2009

Distinguished Gabrielas

Distinguished Gabrielas

By MARYA SALAMAT Bulatlat.com Twenty-five years after Gabriela was established, the same issues continue to hound and unite women, Liza Maza, Gabriela Women’s party-list Representative, said at the opening of Gabriela’s 25th anniversary cultural program. “From...

| Nov 5, 2009

In Proposals, ILO Puts Burden of Respecting Workers’ Rights on Arroyo Regime

In Proposals, ILO Puts Burden of Respecting Workers’ Rights on Arroyo Regime

By MARYA SALAMAT
A high-level team of the UN’s International Labor Organization has proposed, among others, trainings and "continuing education" for the Philippine police, military, the judiciary and the labor department on how to respect union rights and uphold labor laws.
Sidebar: Responses to ILO High-Level Mission

| Oct 24, 2009

In Historic Gathering, Filipino Priests Vow to Be More Active in ‘Political Realm’

In Historic Gathering, Filipino Priests Vow to Be More Active in ‘Political Realm’

By MARYA SALAMAT
It what appears to be a challenge to the assertions of conservative groups and the government that the Church should not be involved in politics and the “affairs of the state,” Catholic priests from all over the country -- in a historic first -- gathered to discern and discuss their role amid these turbulent times.

| Oct 18, 2009

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