Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City- Workers from Koalisyon Kontra Kontraktwalisasyon (KONTRA) and Church Labor Conference (CLC) held a protest action today in front of the Korean Embassy calling for Korean-owned Hanjin to adhere to internationally recognized rights like safe and humane working conditions and the right to self-organization.
Hanjin which started operating in Subic in 2006 has been notorious for reported violation in occupational health and safety standards that has resulted in numerous documented death as along with major and minor accidents.
“We are being harassed and maltreated by our Korean superiors in our home countries”, lamented Joey Gonzales, Secretary of Samahan ng mga Manggagawa sa Hanjin Shipyard (SAMAHAN).
SAMAHAN revealed that from March 28 to June 11 there were five cases of Filipino workers maltreated by Korean Superiors.
Roy Salazar, SAMAHAN Council of Leader added that the workers are often served with stale and inadequate food from canteen, lacks personal protective equipments such as goggles, safety shoes, welding masks and most of the time forced to work back to back shifts by their Korean superiors.
“We cannot let mammoth companies like Hanjin walk over our labor laws. The 21,000 Filipino workforces deserve their right to safe and humane working conditions and self-organization,” said Precy Dagooc, secretary general of Manggagawa para sa Kalayaan ng Bayan (MAKABAYAN).
The labor organizations that composed the march towards the Korean Embassy are Mangagagawa para sa Kalayaan ng Bayan (MAKABAYAN), Partido ng Manggagawa (PM), Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP), National Union of Building and Construction Workers (NUBCW-BWI), Philippine Air Lines Employees Association (PALEA) and National Caucus of Labor (NCL). ###
