By Daniel Lorenzo Pineda Stupid is a word I will never learn to swallow. Stupid is a word reserved for certain people—the President, Willie Revillame, Floyd Mayweather Jr., & co.—which, by virtue of balancing out our rights and privileges, has been bestowed on us—ordinary, insignificant people—for the taking. It is ours to use against the…
Day: May 20, 2011
Amnesty International hits Aquino government for lack of justice, continuing violations
By RONALYN V. OLEA
“Civilians continued to be killed as the military’s counter-insurgency plan failed to differentiate between civilians and members of the NPA [New People’s Army]. In some cases, the police or the military claimed that the deaths occurred during ‘legitimate encounters.’” Amnesty International.
Bank employees also suffer from meager wages despite industry’s profitability
By JANESS ANN J. ELLAO
“We, bank employees, are victims of meager wages despite the fact that the banking industry is one of the most profitable in the country,” Raymund Acenia, president of the Hongkong Bank Independent Labor Union
Working people remember Ka Bel and his struggle for a P125 legislated wage hike
By MARYA SALAMAT
Given the growing number of lawmakers supporting the legislation of a substantial wage hike, workers remembering Ka Bel today are hoping that finally, the bill which he first authored and filed may be enacted at last.
Relocated to Montalban, former residents of Laperal compound in Makati face an uncertain future
By INA ALLECO R. SILVERIO
“We are not garbage, and we don’t want to be reduced to a life of begging. What we want is to have our homes, our lives and our dignity restored.”
To end road mishaps, fix the transport workers’ labor conditions
By MARYA SALAMAT
On top of changing the pay system of drivers and conductors, HB 3370 wants to fix the working hours of drivers and conductors to eight hours inclusive of a one-hour rest period and ensure a two-shift system so that workers do not compromise passenger safety by exceeding working hours.
Lourdes ‘Chit’ Estella-Simbulan, a principled journalist, a compassionate person
By RONALYN V. OLEA
“Her compassion for victims was natural. She was consistent in her ethics. She was gentle but had the inner strength. How can you not love such a woman?” — Roland Simbulan
Manila Bay clean-up targeting communities of fisherfolk and urban poor, says fishers group
by INA ALLECO R. SILVERIO Bulatlat.com Last February, the Supreme Court issued a decision ordering the Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to remove illegal structures along water systems, river banks and waterways connected to Manila Bay and to continued doing so until Dec. 31, 2015. The cleanup operations are currently in progress, but an organization of…
Benjie Oliveros | Tough task ahead for the new UP president
By BENJIE OLIVEROS Analysis When asked whether he would increase the tuition during his term, new UP President Alfredo Pascual replied with a resounding “No.” That was a bold declaration coming from a “dark horse” and an “outsider” who won the race for the UP presidency and a successor of former UP president Emerlinda Roman…
Sarah Raymundo | Ideological lessons on the struggle over wages
For Ka Bel, for all that he was and for all that we can be because of him By SARAH RAYMUNDO Bulatlat.com The latest P22 increase in workers’ Cost of Living Allowance in the National Capital Region (NCR) is yet another attack on labor. After a two-year pause on wage hikes, allegedly due to the…