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Sunday, March 14, 2004
Protesters quit, want jobs back
By Garry A. Cabotaje and Allan I. Varquez
CEBU CITY -- The seafarers of Sulpicio Lines Inc. Saturday ended their strike, as majority of those who took control of Sulpicio vessels in Manila port were forcefully dispersed by authorities Saturday afternoon.
Generoso Sasis, Unyon ng Mandaragat sa Sulpicio Solid (UMSS) president, said a joint team of the Philippine National Police (PNP), military, Coast Guard and firemen came in full force and dispersed the striking workers starting 1 p.m.
Firemen trained their water cannons at the strikers, some 100 of whom were reportedly detained at the Sulpicio port terminal at Pier 12 in Manila.
Sulpicio lawyer Manuel Espina denied this, though.
Sasis said that at least seven Sulpicio ships that docked in Manila port were abandoned by the strikers, after the dispersal.
The strike, the second to hit the Cebu-based shipping fleet in less than a year, lasted five days.
"Undang nalang mi kay wa nay mga tawo. Hardline kayo ang management kay mobiyahe gyud (We have to end our strike because there are no people.
The management took a hardline stance because they want to resume operations," Sasis said in a mobile phone interview.
The UMSS, an affiliate of the Alliance of Nationalist and Genuine Labor Organization-Kilusang Mayo Uno (Anglo-KMU), had demanded for fair labor practices, better overtime pay and meal allowances.
Now their main concern is to keep their jobs, after the return-to-work order Labor Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas issued last Tuesday expired after 24 hours.
In a meeting with the labor official in a hotel in Quezon City past 3 p.m. Saturday, Sasis and other UMSS leaders asked Sto. Tomas that the employees who went on strike are assured they will not suffer "retaliatory sanctions" from the management.
Also, their demand that the UMSS be recognized as the collective bargaining agent, not the rival Associated Labor Unions (ALU), will be done through a certification election, Sasis said.
He said Sto. Tomas told them that she will inform President Arroyo about the employees' situation.
But Espina said the chance for the striking seafarers to return to work without getting sanctions from the management is slim.
The lawyer cited the damage on the Sulpicio vessels and the losses the company incurred because of the five-day strike.
"It's really hard to convince the management that they be cleared of any administrative liability because of the damages caused by the strike. They have to answer for it," he said.
Since some facilities of the vessels were destroyed, Espina said the Sulpicio management will have to assess and inspect the seaworthiness of its floating assets.
"This is to ensure the safety of the passengers. We will not resume operations until the vessels are all inspected," he said.
For his part, Sulpicio spokesman Ulysses Yap said the use of the PNP and military to disperse the strikers was legal because the Dole had deputized them to enforce Sto. Tomas' return-to-work order.
Like Espina, Yap said the Sulpicio management may not allow the striking workers to get off without getting any sanctions.
Both Espina and Yap, however, refused to say if the protesting workers would be fired, saying the company must give them due process in compliance with the Labor Code.
(March 14, 2004 issue)
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