MANILA -– A militant group said the government must review the Korean shipyard Hanjin in Subic, Zambales, and its contractors for compliance with safety regulations, payment of wages and benefits, observance of working hours, among others.

The Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) said at least 26 workers have already died due to lack of safety standards in the Hanjin shipyard.

PM chairman Renato Magtubo said labor accidents would have been abated if the government was not “sleeping on its job” of enforcing workers’ protection laws.

“The Hanjin shipyard is a graveyard of workers. Instead of beating war drums over the Spratlys it is better that President Benigno Aquino III wage war for workers rights at Subic,” he said, referring to the country’s dispute with China over sovereignty on the oil-rich islands.

Some 21,000 laborers work in the Hanjin shipyard but just a few hundred are claimed by the giant multinational as its employees since most are hired by 19 subcontractors. (Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)