[WAC news alert] Workers elated to letters from abroad, but ask to do more
Workers' Assistance Center
March 31, 2007
Workers elated to letters from abroad, but ask to do more
Workers were elated after receiving letters and emails of support from
abroad, mostly from France, over their struggle to fight for their
rights.
It was Réseau-Solidarité, a French NGO working for the defense of
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights based in Richemont, France, who
initiated the campaign. After they included in their campaign the
desperate condition of the workers on strike at Chong Won Fashion,
Inc. (CWFI) and Phils Jeon Garment, Inc (PJGI) it created huge
response not only amongst their members, but also those who responded
to their on-line appeals.
Over the past three months, hundreds of letters are arriving, and
workers wasted no time to read each of them with joy. What contained
in the letter mostly are;
"I have been informed by Réseau-Solidarité of the ongoing use of
violence against trade unionists and labour rights activists in the
Cavite Export Processing Zone (EPZ), in particular the violent attacks
on striking workers and labour rights promoters, and most alarming,
the murder of labour rights advocates.
I support your action and sent a letter to the Philippines Ambassador
to France requesting that he takes immediate action to implement your
demands."
It is also reported that some of the letters it has several
signatories, even included the family member of the letter sender-an
indication where the workers plight is being discussed and had been
part of the French household and society. Some of those sending
letters are University students, while those sending emails are those
responding to the group's appeals.
The group's online appeal written in French is located at:
http://www.peuples-solidaires.org/article781.html
Although it was not immediately known what actions have been taken by
the French embassy in the Philippines, which was part of the group's
campaign objective for them to intervene, but such call for support
and action is helpful for workers to realize their fight gained
support from abroad.
In a separate email received from Fanny Gallios of Réseau-Solidarité,
not only the issues of workers on strike are being taken up it also
condemned the death of the late Bishop Alberto Ramento, former
chairman of the board of Workers' Assistance Center, Inc. (WAC) in
October and union leader Buth Servida in December last year and asked
the government to investigate deeply into these cases.
"We are a network of over 8,000 members engaged for the defense of
labor rights, and we are going to ask our members to send the
Philippines' Ambassador to France (Mr. Jose A. ZAIDE) a letter
requesting that the Philippines' authorities take the appropriate
measures to stop violence and to investigate," Gallois wrote.
While the workers and those stakeholders of these issues deeply
appreciate the group's initiative, it however urges them to do more
and take proactive action their demands on behalf of the workers-which
is the subject of their appeals and petitions-to the French and the
Philippine government are made into reality.
One is to consistently monitor and situation in the field and to speak
on behalf of the workers should there be atrocities occurring once
again. The workers also made requests to consider the issues of
workers in Cavite to be part of the French group's long term work and
as well as its local movement in France. This will ensure the
continuity of the campaign in defending the worker's rights.