There is a time for fiesta and there is a time for work. Last January 17 to 20. 2001 we were able to combine the two, we worked out of office President Estrada and we allowed the vice president to become president. We had what one could call a working party in the whole of the Philippines. Yes Gloria Arroyo Macapagal is our new president and now back to work.
As you said Mrs. President so eloquently, in an interview immediately after the oath taking on Channel II with Korina Sanchez, “You are your own President not being placed by anyone on that chair”. Indeed you were elected vice president and you became president by virtue of the existing constitution. We are happy that you feel so free and therefore we like to talk to you directly on the plight of the workers.
We feel free to state that the majority of the Filipino workers are contractual workers and the law does not provide adequate protection, and or guarantees by which the workers are able to work and earn a livable wage and live a decent life.
That is our opening statement for a debate?
We do know that you are an economist graduated at Yale University in the USA. We also do know that under the Ramos regime you pushed from your Senate seat strongly for full liberalization of the Philippine economy and you moved for the Philippines to accept the General Agreements of Tariff and Trade (GATT) without amendments and to enter the World Trade Organization (WTO) taking line hook and sinker.
President Macapagal, there is work to be done.
We do agree that the world trade is a fact, but accepting the dictates from the Western dominated WTO, without safetynets is suicidal for the people.
The Philippine government is first of all responsible for the welfare of the people it represents. The neo-liberal idea of capitalism sets free, makes free and finally is in the interest of the whole is a myth in its own.
The latest United Nations Report on employment in the world shows that the unemployment – underemployment has grown from 120 million to 160 million in the entire world. By the year 2010, there is a need to create 500 million more jobs? These figures are based on official reports submitted by the government agencies to the UN and you know that they lie in favor of the government but not of reality which shows a much worse picture.
The Unemployment-underemployment in the Philippines officially stands at some 12%, while in reality it would reach at least 40%. The Philippine economy is also not in a great shape. Of course the instability created by the previous regime is a contributing factor to this sore state of the nation, at least for the common people. But it would be wise to look into the chronic problem of growing unemployment and underemployment in the Philippines. On one hand more and more workers skilled or not are leaving the country to work abroad to feed the extended families. By the way they are still the biggest dollar earners for this country. The workers who are staying behind are so plentiful, that for every job at least 20 people are soliciting. The labor market grows faster than jobs are being created. In the books of liberalism is written that the country just has to open up to foreign investments and that everything will fall in place. We do know better Mrs. President, and we are not accepting these false premises.
We do agree that the Philippines is not the only country in that situation, of not having a sound economic planning, huge unemployment –underemployment and that has to struggle to create jobs and facing a growing angry labor force. In fact we are even pitied against one another to provide cheaper labor for the same jobs. Then the Philippine government boasts that the workforce is educated, English speaking, skilled and docile. Since Fidel Ramos became president the call was up to the year 2000 and beyond. Liberalize the country, create export-processing zones and develop a labor flexibility scheme, outmaneuvering the unions and fast-tracking contractual labor already legalized during the Aquino government. If you have the same plan in mind then we are ready for trouble.
Indeed Mrs. President, flexibility schemes, which include 7 days week production and contractualization schemes are in place and part of the world trade. But exactly therefore safety schemes have to be in place, as livable wages for all and other benefits for contractual workers as being given to regular workers. There are also the International labor standards that are basic to the relationship between the government and the working class: the right to self-organize, to freely bargain and to concerted actions. Why would that right be reserved only for regular workers and even then being very restricted?
These core international rights signed by the Philippine government have been for a longtime very debatable and the labor law has been more circumventing not having to implement them than being very supportive to labor. The labor law in existence is written to protect management and labor has to fight every inch to get a law that protects their rights.
Mrs. President we have a lot of work to do. We look forward to do good business with you in the interest of all the working-people, which works hard but wants to be treated justly, as business people are, and get a life that can be shared with their families with decency and joy. Are we asking too much? Why should we? Is a small decent house too much, a decent paid job too much, a secured health assistance too much, schooling for the kids and joy in life through culture and sports? If that is so, what kind of society are we thinking of, slave society? No way!
Emmanuel Manato
Executive Director of
Labor Rights and Democracy.
