MMDA Streetsweepers fight for benefits, higher wages

“We are not demanding much, only what will help us live in dignity. There are all these reports of corrupt generals of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) who pocket P50 million with impunity and take another P10 million (US$232,558) as retirement presents for themselves and none of them have been imprisoned. There are hundreds of thieves and scoundrels in government and they all have no conscience to speak off. Here we are bargaining in good faith, but MMDA chairman Tolentino does not even have the decency to meet with us directly and support our campaign for better benefits. This agency couldn’t care less if the rank and file employees start dropping like flies because of poverty, exhaustion and sickness,” he said.

In relation to Azotea’s last declaration, the KKK is demanding that the MMDA give P30,000 (US$698) in funeral benefits to the families of deceased employees; as well as yet undetermined figure as hazard pay coverage. The union is basing the demands for the last on Item 27 of the CSC’s Memorandum Circular 30 of September 1984 and its Joint Resolution No. 4 on Incentive VII.

Last May 1, International Labor Day, the MMDA said some 424 job order personnel would benefit from the wage hike. These employees are not regular or permanent employees of the agency. They are workers with general assignments who work on a per project basis for the MMDA

MMDA Council Secretariat Director Lydia Domingo said that the job order personnel with the lowest pay grade starting that month will get P500 (US$11.62) per month on top of their P231 (US $5.37) to P251 (US$5.83) daily pay.

Threats of lay-offs because of budget cuts

KKK vice-president Mar Araba for his part expressed outrage against the MMDA’s failure to provide for the employees it previously retrenched or forced-retired.

“To this day, our former colleagues have not received their severance packages. Now there are threats of another round of retrenchments and streamlining. The MMDA is an income-generating agency, and we have been witness to various forms of corruption from petty to big-time so we cannot accept the administration’s declarations that it is losing money. The employees are being abused and exploited left and right while there are MMDA officials who wallow in corruption though ‘kotong’ activities and other ‘rackets,'” he said.

A woman member of the KKK shared that streetsweepers like herself buy their own “walis ting-ting” or twig brooms, dustpans and garbage bags.

Last January, the MMDA announced that it will lay off 1,800 contractual employees after Malacañang cut its budget by half. The agency also said that it has yet to settle over P500 million in garbage bills since July 2010.

“We are defending our rights and there will never be anything wrong, illegal or unjust about that. The MMDA is the one abusing our rights, exploiting us and treating us like the garbage and trash we take out of the streets and gutters,” said members of the Kagalingan ng mga Kawani sa Kalakhang Maynila (KKK) , the union of employees of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA). (Photo by Ina Alleco R. Silverio / bulatlat.com)

The layoffs will include traffic aides, flood control workers, street sweepers, drivers, painters, plumbers, welders, electricians and clerks who represent 50 percent of the agency’s 3,800 contractual workers. The Aquino administration cut the MMDA’s budget to P981 million (US$228,136) this year, which is 52 percent lower than its P2.076 billion (US$4,827 million ) allotment in 2010. In the meantime, the Budget Department had yet to release P730 million (US$1,697,674) 116279 of the agency’s 2010 budget.

Last year, plunder, graft, malversation and money laundering charges were filed against MMDA chairman Tolentino before the Office of the Ombudsman. This was days before he took his oath in Malacañang and are unrelated to his office in the MMDA.

The charges stemmed from allegations of his former executive assistant, Ronald Tan, that he, as former Tagaytay mayor from 1994 to 2004, and his brother, incumbent Mayor Abraham Tolentino, amassed some P500 million (US$ 116,280 ) in ill-gotten wealth.

In a four page complaint, the complainant said that the two Tolentinos “amassed by way of unabated graft and corruption and abuse of power and authority ill-gotten wealth in the form of real estate properties, business, vehicles and bank deposits, which in no way can be justified as having been acquired legally through their earnings as public officials or even their private business ventures.”

Tan alleged that the city government of Tagaytay lost funds, causing irreparable injury to the locality and the displacement of hundreds of poor residents. He said that there were Commission on Audit (COA) reports showing supposed financial anomalies. He also alleged that the Tolentinos own a 7-Eleven franchise, several hotels, restaurants, gasoline stations, buildings, large tracts of land, houses and lots, luxury cars and other wealth, which cannot be logically acquired on a mayor’s salary.

Tolentino in the meantime said that he is ready to face the charges and described them as “nuisance black propaganda” to derail his plans in the MMDA.

Enough is enough

On July 20, the KKK declared “enough is enough” and held a protest in front of the MMDA main office along EDSA. Gonzalez said they were sick and tired of the administration’s excuses and the delays in the CNA signing.

“We were promised that the CNA would be signed and implemented at the soonest possible time. The last agreed upon schedule was back in April. The management cannot avoid us forever; we have rights and we demand that they respect them,” she said.

At noon on the same day, some 150 KKK members carried placards and banners as they held a program in front of the main doors of the MMDA offices. The MMDa administration, seemingly intending to intimidate the employees, sent out their contractual employees from the demolition unit pool. These employees were armed with fiberglass shields and helmets, as well as nightsticks.

Azotea explained that the employees were actually referred to as “riot teams.”