South Korea Bullies Philippines over Shipyard Deaths

The South Korean Ambassador has written to the President of the Philippine Senate, Juan Ponce Enrile, threatening dire consequences if the Senate proceeds with its investigation into the atrocious death and injury record of South Korean  ship-building giant Hanjin Heavy Construction Industries Inc. In it he stated that any investigation into Hanjin, which of course could potentially lead to their operations being suspended or even closed down, could have “deep and far-reaching effects within and beyond the boundaries of the Philippines.”

BY GILL H. BOEHRINGER
Professor, Macquarie University
LABOR WATCH
Contributed to Bulatlat

The South Korean Ambassador has written to the President of the Philippine Senate, Juan Ponce Enrile, threatening dire consequences if the Senate proceeds with its investigation into the atrocious death and injury record of South Korean  ship-building giant Hanjin Heavy Construction Industries Inc. According to Task Force Hanjin data, confirmed by the Department of Labor and Employment, more than 40 Hanjin workers have died as a result of industrial accidents or, in the case of 3, from malaria for which the company has a responsibility for suppression in the area where it is endemic. Hanjin admits to 19 deaths only. There have also been more than 4000 work-related  injuries in less than three years. Yet Hanjin has hardly had a slap on the wrist.

While Malacanang Palace has asked the Senators not to “over-react” to the appalling record of the firm, since it would negatively effect the country’s image as a “business destination”, Senators have spoken of the government’s “indifference” and lack of action in view of the well-publicized deaths going back to 2006 when Hanjin commenced operating at the former US Naval Base and Ship Repair Facility. The facility is now operated as the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority and it seems the Senators are not impressed by the apparent refusal by the SBMA authorities to allow the DOLE and regional safety inspectors access from time to time. In face of that record, the Chair of the Senate Committee investigating Hanjin did a recent on-site inspection. Senator Jinggoy Estrada found numerous breaches of safety standards and a number of violations of the Labor Code. He also found that the workers were afraid to talk about the unsafe and unhealthy conditions there, and that South Korean supervisors could be seen waving them away from the Senator’s team.

The recent flurry of action in the Senate was sparked by the death on 23 January of 19 year old Raldon del Rosario, a very recent employee, who was crushed to death by a falling 800 kilo “metal door”, an accident in which his co-worker, Camalio Bouchie, also a young and newly employed worker, was severely injured. Ironically, the latest fatality was of a South Korean supervisor, Choi Dond Baek , killed in an accident when he was run over by a forklift truck which was shifting a basketball net at 12.30 a.m. Typically, the SBMA Administrator, Armand Arreza, sought to distance the SBMA and Hanjin by remarking that the death was “not related to the construction of ships”.

The Hanjin case raises many issues relating to labor practices in “special economic” zones in Third World countries and, like the Visiting Forces Agreement the Philippines was coerced by the Americans to sign-again, ironically because of, amongst other things, the loss of its huge and strategically important base at Subic Bay- it also highlights the stand-over tactics of more powerful countries when their interests are threatened. The letter from the Ambassador, Choi Joong Kyung, is clearly an attempt to subvert Philippine sovereignty. In it he stated that any investigation into Hanjin, which of course could potentially lead to their operations being suspended or even closed down, could have “deep and far-reaching effects within and beyond the boundaries of the Philippines.”

Given that threat it is not surprising that Senators are making noises about at least temporarily suspending Hanjin’s operations, as well as investigating the behavior of the SBMA in allowing the carnage to continue. Being told what they can and cannot investigate in their own country is necessarily a huge interference in their legislative duty as well as in the sovereignty of the country. Apparently President Arroyo is willing to permit such derogation in order to keep business onside. Let us hope the Senators continue to see it differently. In explaining their concern to put a stop to the murderous rate of deaths and injuries, Senator Pia S. Cayetano commented: “I doubt that any level-headed would consider any of this an overreaction”, condemning the Arroyo regime for having “sold out the souls of Filipino workers to the devil.” (Bulatlat.com)