International Labor Groups Unite vs. Political Repression,Labor Flexibilization

News Release15 December 2005
REFERENCE: Dennis Maga, 95232051Bong Labog, 64902156

Workers from different parts of the world converged at the ILPS Pavillion in Victoria Park, Hong Kong today to unite and strengthen their ties against the onslaught of systematic and worldwide attacks on workers' rights and political repression of trade unionists and workers' rights advocates.

Held in time with the ongoing 6th Ministerial Meeting of the World Trade Organization (WTO), more than 40 workers' and trade union organizations from 10 countries across the world participated in the workshop organized by the Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU or May First Movement Labor Center) from the Philippines and the International League of Peoples' Struggle (ILPS).

The participants vowed to launch an international campaign against intensive political repression of trade unionists and workers' rights activists. The workers also declared their intention of setting up a loose international network of workers' organizations for monitoring, studying, and campaigning against labor flexibilization and contractualization.

"The large number of labor organizations and individuals who attended the forum only proved that labor flexibilization of the monopoly capitalists has adversely affected workers from across the world," said Elmer "Ka Bong" Labog, chairperson of KMU.

Labor flexibilization, according to Labog, is the scheme devised by monopoly capitalists to squeeze in more profits from the workers through massive contractualization, irregularization, or casualization.

"The experiences shared by labor organizations from different countries showed that workers of the world are determined to fight labor flexibilization and other anti-labor schemes being cooked up by the WTO in its 6th Ministerial Meeting," said Labog.

Labog further declared the need for workers to be vigilant in their struggle against all forms of labor exploitation and repression.

"The workshop has provided ocassion for workers to strengthen our ranks by setting up networks for international solidarity against labor flexibilization of all forms across the world," added Labog.

The participants also vowed to wage a campaign against political repression of labor organizations and trade unionists. Of particular concern is the situation of workers in the Philippines. Most prominent case of repression is the recent killing by military agents of Ricardo Ramos, president of Central Azucarera de Tarlac Labor Union (CATLU) and Diosdado "Ka Fort" Fortuna, president of the Union of Filipro Employees (UFE), labor union in Nestle Philippines.
In particular, the delegate from Australia Asia Workers Links suggested the staging of an international day of protest in condemning political repression of trade unionists and politcal activists in the Philippines.

Among the participants in the event are members and officers of Korean Council of Trade Unions, Australia Metal Workers' Union, Asia-Wide Campaign-Japan, Labor Rights Association-Korea, LaborNet-Japan, and Taiwan Labor Institute for Education.

The participants came from various countries such as the Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Australia, United States, Bangladesh, Thailand, India, and the Philippines.