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Thursday, November 18, 2004
Labor office fails to resolve Luisita row
By Marie S. Neri
MANILA -- Efforts to resolve the dispute between laborers and management of Hacienda Luisita fell through after striking workers snubbed negotiations being brokered by the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole).
Labor Assistant Secretary Benedicto Ernesto Bitonio said the labor department was notified by members of the Central Azucarera de Tarlac Labor Union (Catlu) they would not be attending the conciliation meeting set at 2 p.m. Wednesday because they need to attend first to the families of those killed in the dispersal and those injured.
Bitonio said, however, the absence of the workers in Wednesday's meeting does not mean that all is lost.
At least four persons were reported killed in Tuesday's bloody dispersal of 6,000 striking workers of Central Azucarera de Tarlac, part of the vast Hacienda Luisita plantation, and dozens others injured.
"We are trying to exhaust all avenues and the solutions to bring the parties to the negotiating table," Bitonio said, adding they have rescheduled the negotiation talks to Friday.
Bitonio said the labor department, particularly Labor Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas, should not be blamed for the violent dispersal in the Hacienda Luisita because the issuance of the Assumption of Jurisdiction (AJ) is in accordance with the law.
"The assumption of jurisdiction was issued in due course," said Bitonio, who is also the spokesman of Dole.
Bitonio added that while they were concerned about what transpired Tuesday, he stressed some of the casualties were not legitimate workers of the hacienda but sympathizers from neighboring provinces.
The militant Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) said all of the fatalities were legitimate workers and members of Catlu.
Other labor groups condemned the dispersal of the strikers and called for the resignation of Sto. Tomas.
They blame her for what happened because she issued the assumption of jurisdiction.
"We decry this brazen use of Dole of its assumption of jurisdiction in solving the dispute. The AJ only serves to disarm workers who are left with no other weapon to defend their rights and welfare but their Constitutional right to strike," said Romy Castillo, Bukluran ng Mangagawang Pilipino vice chairman.
The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) called for the creation of a fact-finding team that would investigate the violent incident.
Sto. Tomas's issuance of the AJ, nevertheless, had the support of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (Ecop), who said it was done in accordance with the law.
Ecop president Rene Soriano said Dole did the right thing, especially since the issue involving the Hacienda Luisita is of national interest.
(November 18, 2004 issue)
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Central Luzon, Tarlac cops relieved over farm clash