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Die nichtabreissende Serie der Ermordungen aktiver GewerkschafterInnen auf den Philippinen wird schon bei geringster Beschäftigung mit dem Thema deutlich - wie auch, dass dies kaum "Zufälle" sein können. Die Initiative der Public Services International, deren Delegation sich gegen die Ausweitung von Finanzhilfen an die Arroyo-Regierung wandte und von dieser forderte, vorliegende Komissionsberichte zu veröffentlichen, nimmt die Laborparty in der (englischen) Presseerklärung "International trade unions should escalate campaign vs. labor repression in Philippines" vom 21. Februar 2007 zum Anlass, die internationale Gewerkschaftsbewegung zu weiterer verstärkter Solidarität aufzurufen.

International trade unions should escalate campaign vs. labor repression in Philippines

The Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) [Labor Party-Philippines] welcomes the initiative of the Public Service International (PSI) delegation to ask international agencies and financial institutions to refrain from extending assistance to the Philippines and to insist that the Gloria Arroyo government publicly release the Melo Commission's possibly damning report. Such forms of global solidarity will help in pressuring the government into seriously responding to charges of extra-judicial killings and labor repression.

We enjoin the PSI and labor groups abroad to wage a global campaign in exposing the appalling situation of labor rights in the country especially the unabated killings of trade union leaders. The iron fist of repression is bearing down heavy on the working class movement.

Among the serious cases of killings of trade union leaders from our own ranks are the following: assassination of Filemon "Ka Popoy" Lagman in February 2001, chairperson of the militant Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino [Solidarity of Filipino Workers] and whose brainchild was the formation of PM; ambush killing of Manuel Ibe in April 2001, union president of Liwayway Manufacturing Corp. in Imus [a town in the industrial belt south of Metro Manila] and chairperson of PM-Cavite; ambush killing of Vicente Gacos in July 2004, union president of Myers in Valenzuela [a city in northern Metro Manila]; fatal shooting in 2005 of Timoteo Dante, board member of the union of Schneider/Winner in Caloocan [another city in northern Metro Manila]; ambush killing of Andrew Inosa in November 2006, union president of Alaska Milk in San Pedro [another town in the industrial belt south of Metro Manila] and chairperson of PM-Laguna. All of these cases remain unsolved.

Castor Gamala, national council member of PM and union president of the Eastern Visayas State University employees [in southern Philippines] survived an ambush in June 2005 but lost his sight in one eye. Seven unionists, including one who was paralyzed in the leg, were also hurt in the picket line shooting by Schneider/Winner security guards. Moreover, i n September 2006 military men held an anti-communist teach-in for the union leaders of Manila Bay Spinning Mills in Marikina [a city in eastern Metro Manila]. Before that, they held the same seminar for the union of Armscor also in Marikina.

The vicious agenda of labor repression is clear—to strike fear in the hearts of workers and terrorize them against political involvement. With a terrorized and docile labor, it will be easier to cheapen the price of labor power.

We hold the administration of Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ultimately accountable for the killings of labor leaders for even granting that it is not the mastermind behind the death squads running amok, its inaction on political killings is goading the enemies of labor to act with impunity.

#We ask the PSI and other international labor groups to highlight these concrete cases of labor repression and other similar instances among other Philippine trade unions in its public information and international lobby campaign. International labor solidarity will strengthen the Philippine workers movement's struggle for trade union rights.