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Saturday, July 19, 2008
Sulpicio workers stage protest
CEBU CITY -- About 500 workers of Sulpicio Lines Inc. (SLI) staged a protest-rally Friday to pressure the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) to lift the order that suspended the shipping firm's operations.
Genero Tasan, president of the Sulpicio Lines and Solid Towage and Lighterage Co. Inc. Employees' Union, said the Marina order may cost their jobs soon.
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Marina Director for Central Visayas Glenn Cabañez met with the protesting workers and took note of the concerns they raised. He assured them he will raise the matter to Marina Administrator Vicente Suazo Jr. and Transportation and Communications Secretary Leandro Mendoza.
Marina suspended the company's 14 vessels shortly after the MV Princess of the Stars flipped in stormy weather last June 21. Eleven cargo vessels were allowed to keep operating, but business groups have complained these were not enough to keep goods moving efficiently.
Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña stood pat on his decision not to endorse the resumption of Sulpicio Lines Inc.'s (SLI) operations even if hundreds of workers have already lost their jobs, and more stand to be laid off.
Osmeña also said he will not meddle in the Marina's inspection of SLI vessels amid reports that inspections will be hastened so the ships can sail as soon as possible.
When told that the labor union held a rally to protest the suspension of SLI's operations, the mayor said: "That's the problem here, everyone is after their own agenda. There were 163 victims from the city and only two survived. I'm not going to let that happen again."
Cabañez, in a report aired over radio dyLA, admitted being pressured by the issue.
He said that while they feel for the workers and those affected by the grounding of the vessels, they can't do anything about the matter as it is their Manila office that decides on the lifting of the suspension.
Cabañez also said that other people have been calling their offices, pressuring them to lift the suspension.
SLI already laid off 136 of their colleagues and others may soon receive notices of job termination if the suspension order is not lifted, Tasan said.
Lawyer Manuel Espina, counsel of Sulpicio Lines, said the layoff is temporary and those affected will be given priority in rehiring once the suspension order is lifted.
Another union of Sulpicio Lines personnel, the Associated Professional, Supervisory and Technical Employees Union, also joined the rally.
Josefina "Joy" Lim, director of the education and information department of the Associated Labor Union (ALU), said that if the suspension continues, they are afraid that the shipping firm will lay off more than 600 more workers before month's end.
At present, there are 2,000 officers and crewmembers who are regular employees of Sulpicio Lines, and they are all members of ALU.
"These people and their families will go hungry if the government will not allow Sulpicio Lines to operate again," Lim said.
She said they cannot blame Sulpicio Lines if it implements a mass layoff because its vessels are grounded, and the firm is losing millions daily as a result.
Director Elias Cayanong of the Department of Labor and Employment for Central Visayas said they consider the situation a big problem, as it may result to an increase in unemployment in Central Visayas.
Tasan said they cannot understand why Marina is preventing Sulpicio Lines from operating again when they can inspect and audit the vessels while the ships are docked or are sailing.
Tasan added that these vessels are issued a Ship Safety Certificate after an annual inspection by Marina inspectors.
In his news conference Friday, the mayor said that SLI employees may have already been laid off from work, but he also has to be concerned about his 161 constituents who died when the MV Princess of the Stars sank last June 21.
"I'm not against Sulpicio operating again, but just change the management because what I think will happen here is that after the last tragedy, it will be back to normal again. I will ask the President to lift the suspension after the management is changed," he continued.
Osmeña plans to bring up the matter to President Arroyo when she visits Cebu City this Wednesday for the inauguration of the City Hall Legislative Building.
Last Thursday, the SLI management appealed to the mayor for fairness and assured him that the company "is cooperating with authorities while assisting all those affected by the tragedy."
But, the mayor said the SLI management was wrong in using the word "tragedy."
"I don't like to use the word tragedy, it's tragedies. That's exactly the problem here, they are treating this as if it's the only tragedy. They're the most experienced in tragedies and it keeps happening. I can't imagine any other shipping line that has more blood on their hands than Sulpicio," Osmeña added. (EOB/LCR/RCT of Sun.Star Cebu)For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro. (July 19, 2008 issue)
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