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Friday, January 21, 2005
Luisita workers warn of trouble over dispersal
By Jonathan F. Fernandez and Marie S. Neri
MANILA -- Striking workers of the Cojuangco family-owned Central Azucarera de Tarlac asked the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) Thursday not to implement its January 14 return-to-work order.
Instead, the workers said, the department should instead resolve further "with just means" the labor problem in the sugar milling company more known as Hacienda Luisita.
In a motion filed by the workers, they asked Labor Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas to review and reconsider the department's position on the current labor problem at Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac City.
The workers are demanding a salary increase, more benefits, rehiring of 300 workers who were allegedly illegally dismissed and conversion of the Hacienda into an industrial park.
As of 5 p.m. Thursday, it was not known if the labor department has received the workers' appeal.
About 2,000 agents of the police's Special Action Force have been deployed to Hacienda Luisita, waiting for instructions to implement the labor department's return-to-work order.
The striking workers, on the other hand, vowed to defend their picket lines around the hacienda with their life.
The workers have armed themselves with slingshots and stones.
Danilo Ramos of Kilusan ng mga Magbubukid sa Pilipinas (KMP) warned of a bloody dispersal like what happened last November, when seven strikers where killed and several others wounded, if the police would implement the return-to-work order.
Ramos said Sto. Tomas would be responsible for any eventuality that might arise.
He said the workers vowed to continue their strike until the sugar plant's management gives in to their demands.
The labor department granted only a P15 increase in the daily wage of the workers.
It ruled that the striking workers should report back to work because the strike is illegal.
The department also ordered the dismissal of 35 officers of the Central Azucarera de Tarlac Labor Union (Catlu) for staging an illegal strike.
The Catlu failed to comply with the requirements of department for the staging of strikes, the ruling said.
Meanwhile, Sto. Tomas urged the striking workers "to follow the rule of law".
Sto. Tomas said the workers have five days to return to work and they should be accepted back by the management without any retaliatory action or preconditions.
"In that way, we can restore peace and harmony at the hacienda while we are resolving the motion for reconsideration," Sto. Tomas added.
Labor Undersecretary Benedicto Ernesto Bitonio said the department has no authority to compel the workers to return to work even with the ruling it issued because this is already beyond their authority.
"The department is expecting that both parties will comply with the directive but if some workers do not want to return for some personal reasons, then we cannot compel them," Bitonio said.
He added that they could no longer deputize military and police personnel to enforce the order because it would be against their mandate.
(January 21, 2005 issue)
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2 more believed to have died from blood illness