PLDT workers who were just about to hold a hunger strike in front of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) building around were brutally attacked by policemen yesterday afternoon, October 10, 2007. Seven person including two women were arrested and many others suffered injury from the policemen.
Some 100-200 leaders and members of the Manggagawa sa Komunikasyon sa Pilipinas (MKP) [Communication Workers of the Philippines], the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company Workers’ Union, and some Labor and People’s Organizations went to the DOLE yesterday upon advice from Labor Secretary Brion for PLDT management and workers’ union to hold a dialogue. They failed to reach an agreement. The negotiation arrived at an impasse after Labor Secretary Brion advised workers to accept the settlement package offered by the PLDT management instead of job security. Thereafter, Pete Pinlac, the PLDT Union president announced the decision of three union leaders to hold a hunger strike.
The workers and their supporters were starting to sit down to signal the start of the hunger strike when the police led by Col. Jojo Rosales advanced towards the leaders and mauled them without-let-up. According to Mitzi Chan, she saw Bong Beato, Second Vice President of the Union, taken out from the group and was helplessly receiving blows from several policemen. She ran towards Beato to help him but a policeman hit her on her face, damaging her nasal bone.
All in all, seven persons were arrested including: 2 women - Mitzi Chan, a labor paralegal and Atty. Virginia Suarez-Pinlac. All those arrested were brought to the Western Police District Headquarters (WPD). Later that afternoon, an indignation picket-rally was held by the group in front of the WPD Headquarters for the arrested leaders.
Background:
The incident in DOLE started in a protest against the mass lay-off of 575 workers in September 15 of this year. Because of this, workers have been protesting against PLDT’s scheme of contractualization that allows the company to save on salaries, insurance and medical benefits that is required to regular workers. Before the workers could stage a strike as a way of raising the level of protest, DOLE assumed jurisdiction (AJ). In effect, DOLE tied the hands of the workers against defending their rights while it never imposed itself on the PLDT management that defied the AJ’s orders on the company.
Source: KPD-National