Labor group slams ‘culture of violence’

A LABOR group believes that the recent killings and abduction of labor leaders are “encouraged by the existing, prevailing culture of open violence.”

“Our worst fears had happened with the abduction of Tago,” Alan Tanjusay, spokesperson of Associated Labor Unions (ALU), told the Inquirer on Tuesday.

He was referring to Patricio Tago Jr., vice president of the 3,000-strong union at De Luxe Bags Philippines who was abducted at gunpoint and imprisoned on Sunday, apparently on trumped-up illegal drugs charges by police and armed goons of a mayor in Capas, Tarlac, to prevent him from his organizing activities.

“We feel that we as activists and as partners of our democratic government is no longer safe. We feel that the safety  threshold has been breached,” Tanjusay said.

“I now feel that someone might shoot me after I have voiced out for the rights of workers and tagged me as drug  pusher, drug addict,” he added.

Labor groups earlier called on Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III to convene the tripartite industry peace council, composed of labor, government and employer representatives, to address the violent attacks on unions following the recent killings and abduction of labor leaders.

ALU has expressed its support to Nagkaisa in calling for measures that would address attacks on unions, particularly on the right of workers to organize and collectively bargain with management.

Nagkaisa, a coalition of 47 labor federations and workers organizations, has also condemned the recent spate of murders of labor union and community organizers with seven incidents happening only this month. Tina G. Santos