Defend Job Philippines Interview
Can you
tell us any background how Defend Job Philippines started? What specific
activities you do in Defend Job Philippines? Does Defend Job a grassroots
organization? What is the structure of the group? How do you sustain
your organization economically in terms of campaigns and projects?
Defend Job Philippines was created by women workers of
Triumph international who were victims of illegal and unjust lay off on June
2009. The workers established Defend Job as a workers center helping workers
victims of the global crisis. As a campaign center DJP organize workers and
also networks with unions and other organizations. Our organization has a board
of directors. The donations from the workers and organizations embracing the
campaigns for jobs and justice are used for our campaigns.
I’ve heard
that you support worker struggles most especially in the Philippines, how
does it looks like? Do you have any aims or goals that you want to achieve?
What are they? Do you also build networks with other workers struggles in other
places in the Philippines? What specific trade that workers do and what
company they are connected with? Does support from Defend Job limited only for
employed folks or not at all?
We support workers struggle such as those who are victims of
dismissal and other unfair labor practices of companies; contractualization, low
wages and the attacks on the right to organize. Our aim to contribute in terms
of campaigning workers issues affected by the global crisis. To educate people
about how big multi national corporations and the government is passing the
brunt of the crisis to the working people by implementing flexible labor policies
such as contractualization and outsourcing. Because Defend Job is a campaign
center for jobs, our stress is the issue of joblessness, its roots----we do not have our own industries to
absorb the millions of our labor force and farmers also do not have their own
lands resulting them to be landless and displaced.
Does the
group was formed in connection with Triumph case? How does Defend Job find
out about the case? What exactly happened with the Triumph case? Is it true
that there are working people in Triumph being kicked out or dismissed
by the company? When and why this happen?
We filed a legal case against Triumph International at the
National Labor Relations Commission because Triumph dismissed 1663 workers on
June 2009 when the company abruptly closed its two factories in Taguig City.
The closure is unjust, the Labor Code said that there should be 30 days notice
prior to termination of employment or closure but the company already closed
the factory when they announced the closure. The closure aims to bust the union
of Triumph workers which is Bagong Pagkakaisa ng mga Manggagawa sa Triumph
International. The union fought for 34 years for the rights and welfare of the
workers and the company want to get rid of our union because they want to take
away all our hard won victories for the welfare of the workers such as wages,
benefits and regularization of contractual workers.
How many
workers being dismissed? What are the workers responses after being dismissed? How
the workers lived after being kicked out? Do the workers set demands from the
company after dismissal? What kind of economic alternative being made by
workers after they were dismissed? I was informed about the cooperative being
organized by dismissed workers with Defend Job in the midst of their struggle;
could you please tell us more about these?
1663 were dismissed from work. We formed a picket line in
front of the company to denounce the illegal and unjust closure and dismissal
because it is not true that the company is incurring losses. We stand firm that
the closure is anti-worker, unjust and inhumane because: The company is not
losing its business. In fact, Triumph International boasts in their official
website the total revenue of $1.6 billion annually. It is still the number one
lingerie company in the world. In the Philippines, the company sold P1.2
billion worth of underwear products in 2007 and the company’s asset grows from
P189.8 million in 1989 to P745 million in 2007. Despite company’s open
declaration of closure, the management still operates its Sales and Marketing
Department, maintained 142 personnel and will also hire another 128 personnel.
As a matter of fact, the company filed retrenchment and not permanent closure
as their main reason at the Department of Labor and Employment. Mr. Dieter
Streicher, Managing Director of Triumph International Philippines also said
that they are looking forward for future investments in the Philippines. We
stand firm that Triumph International should stop in worsening the miserable
condition of the workers. The Global Restructuring Program must not result in
the massive retrenchment and displacement of workers and their families not
only in the Philippines but to other production centers worldwide. 2. We demand
for the unconditional reinstatement and re-hiring of workers of Triumph
International Philippines and Star Performance Incorporated. In addition,
moving out of materials and equipment of Triumph International Philippines
should be stopped. 3. We demand to Triumph International for unemployment pay
of wages, salaries and benefits of the retrenched workers until such time that
the dispute has not been settled, workers considered back to work or
reinstatement of workers has not been made by Triumph International. 4. We denounce the Philippine
Government in conniving with the German Multi-National instead of safeguarding
the rights of the Filipino workers to job security. The government should take
decisive action for the benefit of the workers. 5. STOP the harassment and
repression to us by Triumph International, Philippine Government and the
government controlled Food Terminal incorporated police forces.
We established our own garment workers cooperative as an
expression of our struggle for livelihood and social justice. Displaced workers
are the members of the cooperative. We are making solidarity bags for their
activities and they are paying us decent pay for our work. It is a product of
hardwork of every displaced worker of Triumph International who are unwaveringly
fighting against injustices committed by the German-Swiss lingerie company.
It symbolizes the courage and wisdom of the Triumph International
workers. Patronizing our solidarity collections is supporting the fight
of the Triumph workers to defend job and opposing the policy of the capitalist
to pass the brunt of the crisis to the workers in the midst of the global
crisis and also means feeding the worker’s families and children who are also
directly displaced due to the massive lay-off.
What kind
of relationship does the Triumph Company upholds among their workers
since then? Does working conditions behind Triumph have any subtle and
dramatic changes? If so, what are they?
Our Union has been around for thirty two years since Triumph
operates its business on March 1975, and since then management of Triumph never
stopped in busting our Union in different manner and forms as we unwaveringly
fight for better working condition inside the factory. We experienced quite a
number of bloody dispersal in the picket line on our 6 times of strikes. Even
the government connive with them because Triumph management hired hundreds of
policemen to dragged the strikers and throw them in the police truck. We were
bombed with water cannons, two (2) officers were handcuffed and one of them is
a pregnant woman hanged and dragged by the mobile patrol because her hand was
tied up on another woman inside that mobile. In that incident three (3) of our
officers were detained in the municipal jail including this pregnant woman. There
are total 25 Union leaders dismissed for the reason of merely organizing and
educating our members and exercising our rights to collectively bargain and
right to mass action and or strike. On 1985 475 active union members were also
laid off by Triumph management. And now these worst things happened to us and
our family, because they wanted to pass the brunt of crisis to us, workers who spent our whole life to
make the company grow and prosper.
What kind
of conditions do people inherit while working for Triumph? Do divisions occur among
fellow workers who are working there? If so, what are the root causes of these?
Do workers have been given a chance to improve conditions while being at work?
Could the workers able to get their demands from the company? What mostly are
these demands, if any?
Our first collective action happened on 1976 when workers
demand for proper ventilation inside the factory. It is one of our victorious
actions that strengthened our union and demand for a Collective Bargaining
Agreement with the company where we demand for increase in salaries and wages,
benefits, regularization, safe and healthy working condition, funds for workers
education and welfare programs and other legitimate demands. To improve our
working condition is by means of collectively asserting and fighting for our
rights led by our union. The company will not give it to us unless we will
fight.
Do the
workers organize themselves independently after being dismissed? Or there were
outside organizations that extend support with them later on? If so, how they were
able to get in contact with these outside organizations? Do the workers had
able to reach contacts with outside groups since then or have experienced in
the past? Is there a worker organization like union or something that was being
formed?
After the dismissal, our union led the collective actions including
the campaigns. Workers organized different forms of actions such as forum on
the globalization and fighting against it, symbolic protest, mobilization in
front of Triumph Office, Department of Labor and Employment and Malacanang
Palace. We also had solidarity actions with Triumph workers in Thailand and
other countries and conducted internationally coordinated actions. Solidarity
organizations from outside are organizations, unions and groups we worked since
we are working inside the company. We are helping each other to achieve common
good for the workers interest and welfare. When the mass retrenchment happened
to us, Triumph workers initiated to form a campaign center that will unite
different unions, people’s organizations, institutions and other sectors to
fight for jobs and justice in the midst of the global crisis. Since then,
Defend Job Philippines is embraced by many workers and other sectors.
I’ve heard
about the militant actions such as pickets/strikes as protest being taken by dismissed
workers with Defend Job fighting back against Triumph, how does it happen? When
did it start? Can you please tell us more about these? Does such actions
still happening nowadays? Are these actions on a legal basis?
Strike is a strong, courageous and sharp collective weapon
of workers to demand for our rights and welfare and contributes for the
fundamental changes of our society. At Triumph, it started on June 2009 after
the company abruptly shut down the factory. We set up a picketline at the
vicinity of the factory to guard the massive relocation of machines and raw
materials out from the factory. Workers and our families sleep in the
picketline. While we are on guard, various activities are happening in the
picketline; educational discussion on different Issues affecting the workers,
mass meetings, symbolic protest and solidarity evenings. We experienced many
strong typhoons in the picketline while on strike and also violent dispersals
led by goons, security guards and police inside the industrial complex. These
actions are happening nowadays especially that workers rights are under attack.
Workers are push to collectively act and to strike because of the inhumane and
unjust working and living condition inside and outside the factory.
Can you
please give us any profile information or any backgrounds about Triumph Company?
Where they are originally base from? In what places in the Philippines they
operate? What they do and what are their products?
Triumph International is an
international underwear manufacturer. Founded in Heubach,Württemberg, Germany 1886 by
the two families Spiesshofer & Braun. The first foreign subsidiary
was established in Zurzach, Switzerland which has become the
company’s headquarters. The multinational manufacturing and marketing organization
operates in 120 countries around the world. It is one of the leading underwear
producers in the world and in 2010 had an annual turnover of 2.2 billion Swiss
Franks, and over 36,500 employees. In the
Philippines, they have two factories in Taguig; Triumph International
Philippines Incorporated and Star Performance Incorporated where elegant and expensive
underwear for export to Europe are being made.
What is
the current status of the Triumph case at the moment? Is it still ongoing? What
sort of actions being carried out by Defend Job and by the workers themselves presently?
Do the workers who have been kicked out still want to go back working for
Triumph, especially when workers demands will be given by the company in the
end? Or this logic isn’t possible at all?
Right now, the legal case in the level of the National Labor
Relations Commission. On August 2011, the case was being dismissed by the said Commission
in favor or Triumph International. We filed a Motion for Reconsideration and still
waiting for the response and will pursue our case to the Court of Appeals.
What can
you say about workers self-management means no bosses, as an alternative
example like in Argentina last 2001? Is it possible here in the
Philippines that worker take control of the means of production and distribution?
And not always depend their job and lives to the capitalist/company/corporations?
We have a good relationship with No Chains in Argentina.
They are two self manage cooperatives of workers initiated by La Alameda in
Argentina and now with Dignity of Returns in Thailand and we are working to
learn from them and from our own experience as well to develop such kind of
workers collective.
Ok
finally, there might be people who maybe interested to support and help you out
with your struggle along the way or extend solidarity with you most especially with
dismissed workers in struggle, what kind of support you need or how could they
help you?
Thank you for supporting the Triumph workers struggle and
also our struggle for jobs and justice. We are encouraging you to write letter
of appeals to NLRC. We are also inviting you to join us in our actions not only
for Triumph workers but to all people and workers affected by the destructive
effects of the global crisis. Please share to the world the stories of our
struggle and solidarity. You can also patronize the solidarity collections that
our workers collective or cooperative are producing such as bags and other
items.
Thank you
very much. Any last words ….
Maraming Salamat po. Defend Job. Defend Life. Union
Organizing is a Right. Not a Crime. Regular Jobs. Not contractualization.
Justice to all Workers victims of unjust lay off.
