[Press Release] Church and workers unity a ‘positive step’ amidst grim labor conditions – CTUHR

Church and workers unity a ‘positive step’ amidst grim labor conditions – CTUHR The Center for Trade Union and Human Rights hailed the Church-People and Workers Solidarity (CWS) as a “positive step” in supporting and reinforcing the workers’ struggle amidst severe conditions of the workers and the poor. CWS is a group convened by bishops,…

Human Rights Online Philippines

September 7, 2011

3–4 minutes

Corazon Aquino, CTUHR, Executive director, Hacienda Luisita, Human Right, Labor rights, Press Release, Trade union, Worker, Workers Solidarity

Church and workers unity a ‘positive step’ amidst grim labor conditions – CTUHR

The Center for Trade Union and Human Rights hailed the Church-People and Workers Solidarity (CWS) as a “positive step” in supporting and reinforcing the workers’ struggle amidst severe conditions of the workers and the poor.

CWS is a group convened by bishops, priests, nuns and other church people together with unions, workers organizations, and labor rights advocates. CWS affirms the social teachings of the Church to promote social justice and aims to particularly advance labor rights. CTUHR is one of its convenors.

Daisy Arago, executive director of CTUHR said, “The formation of Church-People and Workers Solidarity is a positive step that can reinforce the movement for the advancement of workers’ rights especially amidst worsening conditions for the workers and the poor.”

“Today, the impoverished condition of the laboring class has taken away the human dignity of the workers and their families. The coming together of the Church and the workers to fight social injustice is an active step on the part of the Church. It is a step of fulfill and realize the social doctrines of the Church to promote labor over capital and uphold social justice.”

“Social inequality has become more salient than ever with the rich becoming richer and the poor, poorer,” Arago noted, “A [Forbes] survey revealed that the richest Filipinos increased their wealth by 39 percent in just one year. On the other hand, the government has cut down the poverty threshold from P52 to P46 a day.”

Arago further explained that workers continue to experience intensified attacks in both economic and political levels despite the change in presidency over a year ago. “The Aquino government has failed to end human rights and workers rights violations. In fact, compared to Arroyo’s first year, Aquino’s human rights record is far worse, with killings in the labor sector totaling to six compared to only one in 2001. We were also able to document more than 30, 000 victims of human rights violations in Aquino’s first year compared to only a little more than 5,000 in Arroyo’s first year,” Arago avers.

“Workers are also hard hit by the Aquino government’s economic and labor policies which favor investors at the expense of the welfare and rights of marginalized sectors. This is well-demonstrated in some of Aquino’s decisions regarding workers demands and issues such as giving the workers a meager COLA instead of a substantial wage hike, approval of outsourcing at PAL, successive oil price hikes, budget cuts in social services, refusal to make a stand on the issue of land distribution on Hacienda Luisita among many other people’s issues.”

Arago stressed the importance of forming CWS in these times, “With CWS, the workers have found allies in the Church during a time when they can hardly find allies in the government to pursue their interests. And while the government has abandoned the workers in their plight, the Church has joined the workers in their struggle.”

CWS will be duplicated at various levels: at the diocese, parishes and communities.

Reference: Daisy Arago, Executive Director, Center for Trade Union and Human Rights, 411.0256, pie.ctuhr@gmail.com