Task Force Detainees of the Philippines

END INJUSTICE IN BURMA! DENOUNCE SPDC's 2010 ELECTIONS:
Philippine government urged to support probe on Myanmar junta’s ‘crimes against humanity’

PHILIPPINES--To visualize the gravity of the crimes against humanity committed by Burma’s military regime, about a hundred of solidarity activists under the Free Burma Coalition-Philippines (FBC-Phils) held a rally in front of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and urged the Philippine government to pledge its support to the ongoing international campaigns calling for the creation of a UN commission of inquiry to investigate possible crimes against humanity in Burma last Friday, August 6, 2010.

Photo by R. Yamzon

17 of March, 2010


Dear Friends,

The Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP) requests your urgent action regarding a threat of breaking the labor union strike set-up by dismissed workers of Goldilocks-one of the largest bakeshops in the country, and to bring about a just solution for the illegal dismissal of 127 workers for conducting and participating in a supposed ‘illegal strike’ which apparently took place on May 20 and 27, 2008.

BRIEF HISTORY/DESCRIPTION OF THE CASE

On April 16, 2008, The Bukluran ng Independyenteng Samahan na Itinatag sa Goldilocks (BISIG) workers’ union sent a letter to the management requesting the latter to commence the collective bargaining negotiation but the management ignored the said letter request. BISIG filed a Notice of Strike (NOS) dated April 24, 2008 on the issue of discrimination, harassments and other workers’ rights and welfare issues. On May 20, 2008, Goldilocks responded by filing a petition for assumption of jurisdiction or Certification for Compulsory Arbitration for the NOS. DOLE Undersecretary Lourdes Transmonte, then acting Secretary issued a Certificate Order dated May 26, 2008 certifying the labor dispute to the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) for compulsory arbitration. The said order was received by BISIG on May 29, 2008.

A Goldilocks representative and BISIG leaders entered into agreement at the National Conciliation And Mediation Board (NCMB)dated June 11, 2008 and agreed to await the intervention of DOLE Office of the Secretary and the Bureau of Labor Relations (BLR) in relation with the labor dispute. In addition, the union hereby withdraws the instant labor dispute for the sake of industrial peace.

The Manila Times.net

March 04, 2010

BY KATRINA MENNEN A. VALDEZ Reporter

THE government has scrapped San Miguel Corp.’s (SMC) bid to put up a huge dam that was supposed to supplement the water supply of the Philippines’ capital region.

In a press conference, Diosdado Allado, administrator of state-run Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), on Wednesday said the agency had written to SMC, informing the food and beverage giant that the government would terminate the negotiations for the project, which has drawn flak from the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Metro Manila’s two private water concessionaires, and a host of non-government organizations.

“This announcement will end all the speculation. The negotiation for the joint venture to develop the Laiban Dam has bogged down. We have terminated the negotiation. Thus, San Miguel is no longer being considered by MWSS as [a] partner,” Allado said.

He said both parties were unable to have a “meeting of minds,” even on the basic terms and conditions of the contract.

A key criticism to the project was a “take-or-pay” provision, which would require MWSS’ two private water concessionaries—and ultimately, the consuming public—to pay for unused water flowing from the dam.