Press Release
May 1, 2009

RP 2ND MOST DANGEROUS COUNTRY FOR TRADE UNIONISTS
CHIZ SAYS GOV'T INACTION COULD TRIGGER
MORE ATTACKS AGAINST UNIONISTS

The Philippines ranks as the second most dangerous country for trade unionists, and opposition Sen. Chiz Escudero said yesterday the government's seeming indifference to killings of trade union leaders could trigger more attacks against them.

"A climate of fear and intimidation still pervades the labor sector. Workers not only worry about job security, they have to deal with the issue of personal security as well," Escudero said.

The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) reported that the Philippines now ranks second in the list of countries where violations of trade union rights are prevalent. Colombia ranks first with 39 killings, while Guinea was third at 30 unionists slain in the ITUC list.

The Philippines recorded 33 killings of labor leaders in the survey conducted by the Independent Centre for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR) for the ITUC in 2007.

In the same survey, 220 individuals were affected in 130 incidents of trade union rights violations.

Escudero, who chairs the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights, has filed Senate Bill 1437 which seeks to grant prosecutorial powers to the Commission on Human Rights and establish its own witness protection program. He has also called for the approval of a bill which would jail torturers for life.

"The sad fact is that in the Philippines, the rights of labor groups continue to be abused by the government. These abuses range from acts to undermine the right to strike to outright discouragement of trade union activities, especially in export processing zones," Escudero said.

He also noted that in many instances cited by the ITUC and validated by UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions Philip Alston, the use of intimidation and extrajudicial or arbitrary executions targeting trade unionists has been employed.

"The government must not only create and ensure security of tenure. It must also make sure that those who fight for the welfare of workers be protected from harm," Escudero said.

News Latest News Feed