[Notes from an unstructured
discussion between workers in an export processing zone in Central Luzon
and an official from a labor support group from the United States,
sometime in May 2001.]
They came from all over.
As far as Negros down south and Isabela up north. They came to Bataan,
hoping to overcome poverty and
make their families happy.
Many are single young women.
Their lined faces say they have not completed what
they sought out to do yet.
They are terrified by the prospect of losing their jobs. They say they
have no choice; they will stay in the zone
"as long as job are available".
They are breadwinners and they need the money to
support their families.
They tell their stories differently,
some haltingly, others
in straight English, still others in their dialect, at
times needing assistance to make their point.
Some had to be prodded to get over their shyness and
to speak.
Times were difficult even before
September 11; they
worsened after September 11.
"Marami" ["Many"] companies have gone on 2-3 day
workweek.
Unions are not welcome; "pampagulo lang daw"
[troublemakers] say management.
Employers terrorize workers by saying that, if buyers
find out there is a union in the company, they will
stop orders - the exact opposite of what buyers'
corporate codes of conduct say.
In reality, those with unions are lucky: wages are
raised immediately above the minimum. In addition,
there are other benefits -- longer leaves, correct
overtime rates, etc.
Without a union, chances are workers will be paid at
most only the minimum wage of P204.50 in Bataan.
Tessie has been working in HHH producing
Harley Davidson leather jackets for eight years, and now receives P235 a
day. The union was organized in 1997; and bargained an increase in wages
above the minimum. Orders are slow and leather materials have not arrived
from Europe; Tessie and her co-workers are on forced leave.
Glenda, came from Olongapo, sewer and a
union officer at NNN: They decided to put up the union because their wages
were below minimum, leave was only at the statutory five days, and there
were no other benefits. She was dismissed because of union membership, but
regained her job when the union won recognition and fought for her
reinstatement. The union increased wages (Glenda now receives P222.90),
5-5 days vacation/sick leave, plus other benefits. Because of "slow
orders", Glenda and her workmates are currently on two days per week
forced leave.
Three contractual workers (si Aida, si
Lorna at si Fe) from giant LLL electronics company, 2500 workers, only
1500 regular, producing parts, have worked as contractual workers for ten
months. The union filed a case before the NLRC to force the company to
regularize the three and other contractual workers who do the same work as
regular workers and who have completed the mandatory minimum months of
service. Contractual workers receive P204.00 per day; the lowest-paid
regular worker gets P23.00 higher, for the same work, enough for a kilo of
rice.
Veronica, who used to work with ZZZ, has
worked three years in TTT, which makes LL Bean bags for export to the US
market. She was shocked to discover that her SSS premium contributions
were not remitted by the company, barring her from SSS loans. She says
there are workers in the company who have been paid below minimum, the
apprenticeship rate of P153 per day, perpetually. [Under the law, the
maximum apprenticeship period is six months.]
Marilou 35 years old working in XXX
producing Jansport bags says regular and contractual workers are paid the
same rate of P204 per day. Nakakagalit [She is angry]; after many weeks of
12 hours daily forced overtime, the company declared 1-1/2 months forced
leave when it discovered a union was being organized. Union activists were
harassed, the company threatening it will close if a union is organized.
Marilou recalls there were two deaths (one 23 year-old male, one 25
year-old female) from overfatigue - one in 1999, another in 2000. Before
the "slowdown", normal overtime was 6:30-11:00 p.m. on the five weekdays,
6 p.m. to 6 a.m. on Saturdays.
Eileen, who worked with BBB then, now
with EEE says the company maintains two time cards, one for the Gap
auditor showing only two hours overtime per day. It was in the same
company where a worker was forced to resign dahil nakita daw na
nakipag-usap sa isang union organizer [for talking to a union organizer].
Sabi nila [The group says] there are
"few" cases of sexual harassment, but knowingly looked at each other when
the official from the national center explained what sexual harassment
was.
They wish there could be more workers
education programs ["kulang seminars"], to discuss workers rights and
labor law, and to teach them more about unionism. They wished there were
more time for rest and recreation. They don't even have time to do their
clothes on weekdays. Sunday is their "wash day".
The visitor expressed concern over
workers rights all over the world, and reminded workers that the struggle
for better working conditions in the US is linked to the struggle of
workers in the Philippines and elsewhere. He rued that there is problem
of enforcement of labor law all over the world. He said, in the US, laws
on social security and unemployment insurance are good; that the law on
forming unions is bad.
In the distance, children and adults
frolicked in the sea. Oblivious to the workers telling their stories and
their sympathetic visitors.
