ALU-TUCP Grabs Unanticipated Opportunity for its Ban Asbestos Campaign
ALU Associated Labor Unions-TUCP
ALU News Release
Released: November 9, 2012
Contact: Alan A. Tanjusay 0906.410.2134
ALU-TUCP Grabs Unanticipated Opportunity for its Ban Asbestos Campaign
The Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP), the largest confederation of labor unions across seventeen industries in private and public sectors in the country, will hold a 1-day workshop on Monday, November 12 in Quezon City to strengthen its campaign against asbestos in the country.
The ALU-TUCP, in coordination with the Building and Wood Workers International (BWI), invited labor centers, federations and workers’ organizations from the newly-created NAGKAISA! (United!) labor coalition, ALU local unions, national tri-media, some school newspaper reporters, select public and privately owned schools officials to attend in the workshop to try to ‘shape new approach to responsibly phase out and ban asbestos and asbestos-containing materials in the Philippines’.
“We, as trade unionists, are trying to seize this unanticipated opportunity that is before us after carefully considering the current landscape in the country. We hope we can be able to harness these openings to maximize our ban asbestos campaign influence in a complex community using our limited resources and capitalizing on goodwill we have built,’’ said Gerard Seno, ALU national executive vice president and Ban Asbestos Philippines project coordinator.
Seno was referring to the momentum created by the creation of NAGKAISA!, an issue-based coalition of 49 labor centers, federations, and workers’ organization, responsible for the massive May 1 Labor day rally and for a series of breakthroughs in advancing critical labor issues in the country.
He also pointed to the goodwill built by ALU-TUCP/BWI successful campaign with the country’s Department of Education, Commission of Higher Education, and with the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities to phase out and ban Chrysotile asbestos-laden wire gauzes used in school and professional laboratories ultimately freeing millions of students, teachers and non-teaching staffs from direct and indirect exposure from cancer causing dust.
Invited participants will hear out from various speakers speak about asbestos, the diseases it causes, how it is handled, managed and disposed. They will also be informed about latest Philippine campaign issues and those in Asia and in other countries.
“Favourable timing and sequences of situations like these doesn’t occur twice. So, might as well wield it and make it as leverage toward our objective to responsibly phase out and ban asbestos in the Philippines. If we don’t do these, our inertia will be outgrown by asbestos lobby,” Seno added.
Amid the estimated 1.3 million Filipino workers, especially those in construction, are significantly exposed to asbestos ever day, Philippine government maintain a regulated use of asbestos and asbestos containing materials despite proofs of asbestos related diseases including mesothelioma contracted recently by workers working within the country and despite a living testament of 1,441 Filipino workers working in the US Naval facility in Subic who were affected by various asbestos-related diseases while painting and repairing American ships before 1991.
It remains to be weak in enforcing its Chemical Control Order for Asbestos beyond and before its Bureau of Customs, opposing government agencies’ position on asbestos ban, and vulnerable to threats of local asbestos lobby group.
The ALU has re-crafted a pending bill banning the use, importation and distribution of asbestos and asbestos-containing materials. It was among the priority bills of the Lower House at the nascent days oif the 15th congress but was repealed in the merger of national priority bills. ###