This story
was taken from Bulatlat, the Philippines's alternative weekly
newsmagazine (www.bulatlat.com, www.bulatlat.net, www.bulatlat.org).
Vol. V, No. 17, June 5-11, 2005
Women,
Children Back
Miners' Strike in Mankayan How does one know that the
workers’ demands are just and fair? One indication is the groundswell of support
they get not only from other marginalized sectors, but also their spouses and
children.
BY ABIGAIL BENGWAYAN MANKAYAN, Benguet — Wilma is 11 years old
and the fourth of six children. last week, she joined more than 1,000 women and
children here (348 kms north of Manila) in a march-rally supporting the demands
of the Lepanto Employees Union (LEU) under the Lepanto Consolidated Mining
Company (LCMCo). Wilma's father is a member of the LEU. "The
rest of my siblings are here too,” Wilma says, while seriously holding up a
placard calling on the LCMCo management to grant the union's demands in the
collective bargaining agreement (CBA) covering the years 2005 to 2008.
The union proposed a daily wage hike
amounting to P29, P29 and P33 ($0.53, $0.53 and $0.61, based on an exchange rate
of P54.49 per US dollar) for the first, second and third year of the CBA’s
effectivity. However, the management offered amounts of P21, P26 and P28 ($0.38,
$0.48 and $0.51). Led by the Timpuyog dagiti Babbai ti Lepanto
(TBML, or Unity of Women in Lepanto Mines), the march-rally took place within
the company's compound, starting from the Union Hall to Cruz, then back to the
General Office where a short program was held. This historical event is the first of its
kind among the women and children of Mankayan. Throughout the march, the protesters aired
the union's demands for the Lepanto community to know. Lepanto covers the
villages of Sapid and Cabitin. During the strike at LCMCo in 2003, the
miners' wives played a significant role in guarding and sustaining the
picketline. They were even at the forefront in rallies to reiterate their
husbands' call for just wages and benefits. "Makitignay kami met, dakami nga asawa
ken an armak. Bassit lang daytoy a dawat mi ti kompanya. Saan kami a mamati a
maluglugi ti Lepanto” (We don't believe that Lepanto is not earning. The
union's demand is even a small portion of the company's profit raked in. That is
why we and our children chose to support the miners' call.), said Analene
Bayaten, TBML secretary during the program. Her husband has worked for LCMCo for
10 years. Another TBML member, Marivic Kitalan,
asserted that the demand for the wage increase is only just and legitimate. "The miners' basic pay of P341 ($6.26) daily
can only allow us to buy the immediate needs of the household, like sugar and
milk. What about the daily allowance we need to send our children to school?"
she said. Basic alliance Aside from the women and children of the
locality, the peasant sector of Mankayan, Tadian (Mt. Province), Cervantes and
Quirino (Ilocos Sur) expressed their support to the workers’ demands through the
inter-municipality alliance Mankayan-Cervantes-Quirino-Tadian Danggayan a Gunglo
(MACQUITACDG). Xavier Akien, MACQUITACDG secretary general,
in a solidarity message condemned LCMCo's 69 years of destructive mining, and
the company's use of the armed forces to protect its interests, such as in the
2003 workers' strike. Akien also condemned the Assumption of
Jurisdiction (AJ) order issued by Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE)
Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas even when the workers were not yet on strike.
Akien emphasized the constitutional right to strike, at this time when laws are
used to suppress people fighting for their democratic rights. He emphasized the basic alliance of workers
and peasants, which was proven during the 2003 strike. Local peasants and even
those from neighboring communities did not only express support for the striking
workers then. They also helped sustain the workers' picketline by providing
food. Nordis/ Posted by Bulatlat © 2004 Bulatlat
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Northern Dispatch
Posted by Bulatlat