Manila (Metro CNN Philippines, January 27) — Progressive women’s group Gabriela on Friday criticized President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s silence after the International Labor Organization (ILO) probe on alleged workers’ rights violations in the country.
“Natapos na’t lahat ang imbestigasyon ng ILO pero wala pa rin kaming naririnig na sagot. Malinaw naman ang hinihiling ng manggagawang Pilipino: itaas ang sahod, wakasan ang kontraktwalisasyon, at itigil ang pandarahas sa manggagawa,” Gabriela Deputy Secretary General Cora Agovida said.
[Translation: The ILO’s investigation has been completed but we still haven’t heard an answer. The demands of the Filipino workers are clear: raise wages, end contractualization, and stop violence against workers.]
Last January 23, ILO High-Level Tripartite Mission (HLTM) conducted a three-day meeting with Philippine labor groups and employers to discuss labor rights guaranteed to workers.
They also aimed to examine if the country has been compliant in ensuring workers’ rights to international standards.
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Gabriela is one of the labor groups that took part in the recently-concluded ILO investigation.
According to the group, among the findings from the workshop is the alarming number of women who do not enjoy their freedom of association due to their involvement in informal and contractual work.
“Ang mga kontraktwal, self-employed, mga manininda, at iba pang manggagawang Pilipino sa impormal na sektor ay walang natatamasang karapatan sa pag-uunyon at pakikipagtawaran para sa dagdag-sahod, benepisyo, at proteksyon. Dulot ito ng kakapusan sa oportunidad sa disente at regular na trabaho sa bansa,” Agovida said.
[Translation: Contractual, self-employed, vendors, and other Filipino workers in the informal sector do not enjoy the right to unionize and bargain for increased wages, benefits, and protection. This caused a lack of opportunities for decent and regular work in the country.]
The Philippine Statistics Authority showed that there were 15.68 million Filipino women under informal employment in 2018, while recent figures from IBON Foundation show that seven out of ten Filipino workers are in the informal sector.
The group also cited Jullebee Ranara as an example of a Filipina worker who was forced to look for a job abroad due to lack of opportunities in the country.
Ranara was brutally killed allegedly by the 17-year-old son of her employer in Kuwait.
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“Women, as part of the working class, will not rest until their and the rest of the Filipino people’s demands for decent work, livable wages, and rights are met, especially as the International Working Women’s Day nears,” Gabriela added.
During the ILO HLTM discussion, Kilusang Mayo Uno Chairperson Elmer Labog also reported that there is an alarming increase in the number of killed trade unionists and activists in the country.
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“Not all is well in the labor front. There will be an investigation because there is a blatant and massive violation of trade union rights,” Labog said.
The latest data from Philippine Council of Global Unions showed that the number of trade union workers and leaders killed from 2016 to 2022 climbed to 56.
