These are the same struggles that workers of Dole Plantation, comprised mostly by women, are going through. Of the over 30,000 workers, only 6,000 are unionized. The non-unionized workers are organized into cooperatives, which were formed and are controlled by management of the plantation. Women workers of the banana plantation in Davao del Norte, on the other hand, suffer from skin diseases, which they acquired from constant exposure to chemical fertilizers.

Josephine Katando has been a regular factory worker for Paper Tech for the past 12 years. She is married and has two children. Her whole family, including her mother, youngest sibling and three other relatives whom she sends to school, depends on the income that she and her husband receive from their jobs. At the time of the birth of her first child in 2004, her salary increased by P50 after the cost of living allowance was integrated into her salary. But since then, after so many of increases in the prices of basic goods, services, and utilities, her salary remained the same. This motivated Katando to affiliate with the National Federation of Labor Unions (NaFLU), a member-federation of the Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU).

The first issue that Katando and her co-workers struggled against was the strict regulation of their break hours by the company management. They work from 8:00 in the morning until 8:00 in the evening but are not allowed to take their breaks from 3:00 in the afternoon until 8:00 in the evening. They were also not allowed to eat within the factory premises. Moreover, restrooms for male and female workers were not segregated. As if to add insult to injury, management provided employees who work in the administration department a separate cubicle in the restroom.

“Sa loob ng planta, wala kaming karapatan magtanong o mag-usisa. Hindi ko naman sinasabi na dapat kami ang maghari, y’ung pakinggan lang kami at tratuhin kami nang makatao” (In the factory, we do not have the right to question the decisions of management. I am not saying that we should take over the management of the factory. All we are asking for is to be heard and to be treated humanely.) said Katando Despite the changes in the ownership and management of Paper Tech, Katando said, the people in management who oppressed them are still employed in the administration of the factory.

The struggle for a P125-across-the-board increase

“Zero,” said Gonzaga, when asked to rate the response of the government to the needs of workers, especially during these difficult times. Despite the non-monetary benefits that some employees receive, Gonzaga asserted, workers still prefer an increase in their wages. This, said Gonzaga, gives workers the leeway to budget their expenses.

Only a P125 across the board increase in their daily wages, said Zaida Cayetano, member of the Council of Leaders of the Kilusan ng Manggagawang Kababaihan (KMK or Movement of Women Workers), would mitigate the effects of the recent increases in the prices of rice and other foods, oil, and electricity rates. She said that they have been pushing for a P125 across the board increase for almost ten years already but to no avail, while prices have increased tremendously. She added that the current P362 ($8.55 at an exchange rate of $1=P42.34) daily minimum wage is not enough for an average Filipino family.

Cayetano added that the P125 across the board increase that workers are demanding for are not too much. It would barely enable them to buy the basic needs of their families. (Bulatlat.com)

 Save as PDF