Human Rights Online Philippines

 

Subic, Zambales– “We condemn Hanjin’s lack of compliance to health and safety standards”, this is the statement of SAMAHAN (Samahan ng Manggagawa sa Hanjin Shipyard) in response to the death of another worker and a SAMAHAN member Alvin Dalunag.

Alvin Danulag 31 year-old, a native of Kalinga province is a grinder at the panel part welding shop unit 45-1 project 62-658 under the subcontractor Redondo I Tech fell off a block about six feet high yesterday at around 9:00 am. His head hit into several stiffeners and metal frames, he was found faintly breathing by fellow workers and immediately rushed to the St. Lourdes hospital. At about 3:00 p.m. he died at the hospital.

Alfie Alipio, SAMAHAN president added that Dalunag’s death concretely shows how risky the shipyard has become for most workers considering its lack of compliance to Occupational Health and Safety standards.

According to Manggagawa para sa Kalayaan ng Bayan (MAKABAYAN) accidents are still frequent at HANJIN shipyard.

In a span of a week from March 08, to March 14, 2011 alone they have documented at least 5 cases, and from April 08 up to April 11 they have monitored 3 cases of accidents involving at least 5 workers. This excludes the cases of skin disease and eye swelling due to metal fluxes.

“It is painful to think that Hanjin management is denying and distorting the workers’ cause of death instead of taking responsibility.” Alipio lamented referring to management’s statement that the worker (Dalunag) died merely died of cardiac arrest.

It can be recalled that the string of accidents in 2008 prompted Hanjin workers to form a union but until today the union registration is not yet released despite of a favorable decision from the office of the National DOLE BLR.

SAMAHAN and its entire membership appeal to concerned agencies and the P.Noy administration to protect the lives of its Filipino workers by making Hanjin fully compliant to occupational health and safety standards as well as the Philippine labor code.

PRESS RELEASE
April 12, 2011
Contact Person: Alfie Alipio- SAMAHAN President
Precy Dagooc- MAKABAYAN Secretary General

Related Articles

• Hanjin Shipping recieves its first tanker (gcaptain.com)
• [In the news] Alliance formed to force gov’t pass P125 wage increase bill in Congress- CBCPNews.com (hronlineph.wordpress.com)
• Hanjin Shipping receives 8,600TEU class containerships (gcaptain.com)
• Workplace bullying gets Australian media attention (safetyatworkblog.wordpress.com)
• ‘200m in danger of workplace disease’ (stevenleesdouglas.wordpress.com)