LOREN URGES DOLE TO PROTECT WORKERS' RIGHTS

Sen. Loren Legarda yesterday urged the government to enforce strictly workers' rights, including the right to humane working conditions and a living wage, following reports that workers in electronics and other industries are working under harsh conditions at non-living wages.

Loren cited a report of the Dutch-based Center for Research on Multinational Corporations (Stichting Onderzoek Multinationale Onderdemingen or Somo) that Filipino workers in the Calabarzon (Cavite-Laguna-Batangas-Rizal-Quezon) are being exploited by their employers.

The electronics industry is the Philippines' biggest export sector, earning $28.5 billion in 2008 from its exports to the United States, Japan and China, Loren pointed out. "It can very well pay living wages to about 400,000 engineers, technicians and workers in the industry," said Loren.

Loren said that "while it may be a government policy to keep workers' wages competitive so as to attract more foreign investments to our country, it should not be at the expense of workers' rights that are guaranteed by our constitution."

These guarantees cover not only the right to self-organization, collective bargaining and the right to strike, but also the right to security of tenure, humane conditions of work and a living wage, Loren pointed out.

After conducting a research of working conditions in 12 electronic companies in Calabarzon, SOMO concluded that the workers engaged in the manufacturing process are forced to work "excessive hours" and paid non-living wages, about a third below what is required to maintain a family of six in decent living conditions.

Loren also called attention to the complaint of workers that their rights to self-organization and negotiations were being violated through violent repression. She cited the report of the Center for Trade Union and Human Rights that 92 trade unionists have been killed since President Arroyo came to power in 2001.

The report was submitted to a high-level team from the International Labor Organization (ILO) which is currently conducting an investigation into the murders and assaults of trade union activists and the violation of their labor rights, including the rights to collective bargaining, negotiation and to strike.

Loren deplored that it had to take international organizations like the ILO and the SOMO to spotlight the cruel exploitation of labor and the violation of the human rights of workers in the Philippines.

"It is primarily the responsibility of our government enforce the constitutional rights of our workers who, together with peasants, farmers and fisherfolk, are the real builders and economic producers of our country," said Loren.

She urged the Department of Labor and Employment "to enforce strictly our labor laws through its visitation and inspection powers and to give the benefit of priority to establish decent working conditions to workers and decent living standards for their families."

At the same time she appealed to the Department of Justice to defend workers' rights by prosecuting those who violate labor laws, especially those who use terror like murder, torture and abduction of union activists to suppress their rights.