Bulatlat - The Philippines's alternative weekly newsmagazine

This story was taken from Bulatlat, the Philippines's alternative weekly newsmagazine (www.bulatlat.com, www.bulatlat.net, www.bulatlat.org).
Vol. IV, No. 43, November 28 - December 4, 2004

LABOR WATCH

Philex Mines Bars Miner from Work

In a brazen display of labor discrimination and harassment of trade union organizers, Philex Mining Company refused to pay one of its private contractors until the latter removes one of its workers who is also an organizer for Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU or May 1st Movement)-Cordillera, a militant trade union center.

BY ALDWIN QUITASOL
Northern Dispatch
Bulatlat

Tuba, Benguet — Philex Mining Company (Philex) refuses to pay one of its private contractors until the latter removes one of its workers, Jaime Tulipa, a contract worker and organizer of the Kilusang Mayo Uno or KMU – Cordillera (May first movement), a militant trade union center.

Philex ordered the contractor to stop hiring Tulipa citing his affiliation with KMU-Cordillera. Philex accused Tulipa of “creating confusion among mineworkers and organizing them to break away from the National Miners and Allied Workers’ Union (NAMAWU-Local 101)”.

Tulipa, on the other hand, did not deny the fact that he is an organizer and spokesperson of KMU-Cordillera but denied promoting disarray among the workers. Tulipa explained that he is legally working inside Philex as a contract worker and there is nothing wrong in organizing his co-workers. He cited the right to organize enshrined in Article III of the Philippine Constitution.

“They fear that the union they controlled for so long will slip from their hands once its members and officers turn to genuine unionism,” Tulipa said last week.

Tulipa claimed that it is the company, and some “crooked union officials” that create paranoia and spread lies to mineworkers that once the KMU leads the union, it (KMU) will work for the closure of the mines.

Tulipa learned about the move of Philex Mining Company after his contractor informed him of the problem when he returned to work after All Saints Day.

KMU-Cordillera Regional Coordinator Lorico Espejo expressed KMU’s full support to Tulipa and condemned Philex for unfair labor practices. He said that Philex’s denial of work to Tulipa is not only a case of removing a person’s right to work, but also a violation of a worker’s right to organize.

Meanwhile, NAMAWU Local 101 officials have remained silent on the issue. Nordis / Posted by Bulatlat

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