Dear friends at APWSL,<br><br>Warm greetings!<br><br>We would like to ask your support to the striking workers of Hanjin Garments, a Korean-owned garment company in Southern Tagalog. The workers went on strike due to series of employment termination that started last year. Last January 14, 2008, another 200 contractual workers who have rendered service to the company for more than 12 years were terminated. <br>
<br>Hanjin Garments employs more than 1000 contractual workers and is owned by Korean nationals Jeong Kee Min and Mak Rae Min. This is a picture of the rampant practice of contractualization in the Philippines and at the same time, the exploitative conditions in Korean companies. Korean companies have a notorious reputation when it comes to working conditions and terms of employment especially those located in the industrial enclaves. You may remember the violent treatment of the Korean management to the strike and just demands of workers of Chong Won, Phils-Jeon and Fashion Garments.<br>
<br> The Hanjin workers have successfully launched their strike yesterday. Reports said that there is heavy presence of military and police elements who are out to disperse the peaceful activity of the workers. As of last night, the military instituted food blockade upon the orders of Hanjin management aimed at crippling the workers' strike.<br>
<br>We are calling on all our friends and allies to disseminate widely this information to your network. We highly encourage sending protest letters to Mr. Jeong Kee Min and Mak Rae Min and call on them to negotiate with the striking workers. The major demand of the workers are union recognition, regularization of work and reinstatement of illegally terminated workers.<br>
<br>Below are two news releases from PAMANTIK-KMU which contains more information about the strike for your reference.<br><br>An injury to one is an injury to all! Long live international solidarity!<br><br>In solidarity,<br>
Tess Dioquino<br>Secretary, KMU International Department<br>Southeast Asia Coordinator, APWSL<br><br>----------<br>Pagkakaisa ng Manggagawa sa Timog Katagalugan<br> (PAMANTIK-KMU)<br> Solidarity of Workers in Southern Tagalog<br>
<br> NEWS<br> 25 January 2008<br><br> Food blockade imposed against Hanjin workers<br><br> More than 50 war-clad elements of Cabuyao Philippine<br> National Police (PNP) and Laguna Industrial Park<br> Police Assistance Group (LIPPAG) refused entry of food<br>
support to striking workers of Hanjin Garments<br> Incorporated since last night, January 24.<br><br> Cabuyao PNP Chief Col. Moises Pagaduan and LIPPAG Maj.<br> delos Santos ordered their respective police units to<br> dispel workers and supporters carrying food from<br>
reaching the barricades at the company gates and<br> Gatchalian industrial subdivision entrance.<br><br> "Ang pagbabawal sa aming kumain ay tahasang paglabag<br> sa aming karapatang pantao! (To deprive us of food is<br> an outright violation of our human rights!),"<br>
exclaimed Romina Ibarrola, spokesperson of Hanjin<br> workers.<br><br> "Nang tanungin namin sila kung bakit ipinagbabawal<br> nila ang pagpasok ng pagkain, walang pagpapalawig na<br> sinagot kami ni Pagaduan at delos Santos na, 'Utos ng<br>
manager' (When we asked them (police) why they are<br> refusing food entry, Pagaduan and delos Santos simply<br> shrugged, 'It's an order from the manager')," recalled<br> Gomer Macale, union president of Aniban ng<br> Manggagawang Inaapi sa Hanjin Garments (AMIHAN).<br>
<br> Macale thanked the residents and workers who by all<br> means continuously support their cause.<br><br> "Walang namamatay sa gutom"<br><br> At 6AM today, union officers tried to negotiate with<br> Cabuyao Mayor Isidro "Jun" Hemedes to mediate and<br>
order the lifting of food blockade on the strikers.<br><br> "Sa halip na pakinggan ang aming hinaing, sinabihan<br> niya kaming 'Hindi magugutom ang mga nasa loob.<br> Walang namamatay sa gutom'. Hindi namin inaasahan ang<br>
ganitong pangungusap mula sa isang upisyal ng gubyerno<br> (Instead of heeding our plight, he told us 'Those<br> inside [the industrial subdivision] will not go<br> hungry. No one dies of hunger'. Coming from a<br> government official, such a statement is uncalled<br>
for.)," said Macale.<br><br> "However, we are not closing our doors with the mayor<br> and all other legal means to settle this issue. We<br> hope the mayor is not waiting for someone to die in<br> serious cases such as ours," added Macale.<br>
<br> The union officers and management of Hanjin are<br> expected to hold a dialogue at the National<br> Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB-Region IVA) at<br> 1PM today.<br><br> Call for support<br><br> Pagkakaisa ng Manggagawa sa Timog Katagalugan<br>
(PAMANTIK-KMU), the militant labor center in the<br> region, called for more support from other workers and<br> community members.<br><br> PAMANTIK chairman Romeo Legaspi urged, "The demands of<br> Hanjin workers are just and legitimate. It's a must<br>
that the Hanjin workers who are still blinded by the<br> management and pursuing production operations in the<br> company, and the wider public need to know the issue<br> so as to gather and mobilize continuous support."<br>
<br> "We are positive with all the possible and legal<br> avenues we can get and maximize," concluded Legaspi.<br><br> The Korean-owned Hanjin Garments Incorporated employs<br> more than 1,000 contractual workers, 70% of which are<br>
women. The workers barricaded the gates of the company<br> and the industrial subdivision at dawn on January 24,<br> demanding the reinstatement of more than 200 illegally<br> terminated workers, regularization, and union<br>
recognition. ###<br><br> <br>Pagkakaisa ng Manggagawa sa Timog Katagalugan-Kilusang<br> Mayo Uno<br> (PAMANTIK-KMU)<br> Solidarity of Workers in Southern Tagalog-May First<br> Movement<br><br><br> NEWS<br> 24 January 2008<br>
<br> Garment workers in a Korean company stage strike<br><br> Contractual workers from Hanjin Garments Incorporated,<br> a Korean-owned company in Cabuyao, Laguna, launched<br> their strike at around 5:30 AM today, January 24,<br>
demanding reinstatement of illegally terminated<br> workers, regularization, and union recognition.<br><br> After holding a mobile information team round the<br> roads of Cabuyao which started at 5:00 AM, Hanjin<br> workers established two barricade posts – one in front<br>
of the company and one in front of the Gatchalian<br> Industrial Subdivision in Barangay Banay-banay,<br> Cabuyao, Laguna.<br><br> The strikers persuaded their co-workers reporting for<br> the 6 AM shift to join their cause.<br>
<br> Residents were not barred by the strikers from entry<br> to and from the subdivision. Some residents even<br> participated and supported the cause of the Hanjin<br> workers.<br><br> By 5:45 AM, police in patrol car came into the scene<br>
after receiving calls from the company guards. The<br> police, guards, and a supervisor escorted less than<br> 200 Hanjin workers to the company.<br><br> "We are confident after having organized popular<br> support from the workers. Majority of Hanjin workers<br>
are here with us. This proves the validity and<br> legitimacy of our demands," said Gomer Macale,<br> president of union Aniban ng Manggagawang Inaapi sa<br> Hanjin Garments (AMIHAN).<br><br> At around 10:00 AM, Cabuyao police Col. Moises<br>
Pagaduan initiated a negotiation with the strikers.<br> Also, elements of the Laguna Industrial Park Police<br> Assistance Group (LIPPAG) negotatiated with the<br> striking workers.<br><br> "Col. Pagaduan's negotiation is a one-sided imposition<br>
to the workers. He said that he will disperse us upon<br> the request of Jaime Gatchalian, owner of the<br> industrial subdivision. Our union officers told him<br> that we will keep our ground until our demands are<br>
met… We are peaceful here. Don't they dare and<br> instigate fights. It would be best for these police<br> officers to follow the rule of law and oblige Hanjin<br> management to talk fairly with us," said Macale in<br>
Filipino.<br><br> The police later on allowed the striking workers in<br> their activity.<br><br> Workers from other factories, mainly from Cabuyao<br> Workers' Alliance (CAWAL) also supported the Hanjin<br> strike.<br>
<br> The militant Pagkakaisa ng Manggagawa sa Timog<br> Katagalugan (PAMANTIK-KMU), for its part, expressed<br> its support to the Hanjin workers' strike.<br><br> "We applaud the Hanjin workers' strike which took off<br>
at dawn today. Having launched the strike is our<br> initial victory. Hanjin workers are now carrying the<br> red banner and representing the struggle of<br> contractual workers in the region," said Romeo<br> Legaspi, chairman of PAMANTIK-KMU.<br>
<br> "The strike is the powerful means by which particular<br> demands can be resolved. In addition, may this strike<br> be an arena of political education and upliftment of<br> class consciousness not only to the Hanjin workers,<br>
but to all contractual and regular workers as well,"<br> concluded Legaspi.<br><br> Hanjin Garments Incorporated which produces and<br> exports to US cocktail dresses, blazers, and pants<br> including branded Mossimo, is located at 74 Gatchalian<br>
Subdivision, Barangay Banay-Banay, Cabuyao, Laguna.<br> The company employs more than 1000 contractual workers<br> and is owned by Korean nationals Jeong Kee Min and Mak<br> Rae Min.<br><br> Successive waves of termination of employment<br>
contracts started in 2007. The latest, on January 14,<br> 2008, terminated 2oo contractual workers who rendered<br> service to the company for more than 12 years. ###<br><br>------------------<br><br>Pagkakaisa ng Manggagawa sa Timog Katagalugan-Kilusang<br>
Mayo Uno<br> (PAMANTIK-KMU)<br> Solidarity of Workers in Southern Tagalog-May First<br> Movement<br><br> NEWS<br> 23 January 2008<br><br> Makers of Mossimo terminated, prepare to strike<br><br> More than 200 contractual workers cried foul when<br>
forced to sign end contract by Hanjin Garments<br> Incorporated, a Korean-owned exporting company in<br> Cabuyao, Laguna. Hanjin produces and exports to<br> United States blazers, cocktail dresses, and pants,<br> including branded Mossimo teen pants and shorts.<br>
<br> The 200 workers received their respective notices for<br> end of contract on January 14. Four days after, on<br> January 18, they filed a notice of strike to the<br> National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB-Region<br>
IVA).<br><br> Korean nationals Jeong Kee Min and Mak Rae Min own<br> Hanjin Garments, employing more than 1,000 contractual<br> workers.<br><br> "They fired us for the mere suspicion and simple<br> reason that we are trying to form a union," said in<br>
Filipino by Christopher Capistrano, vice-president of<br> independent union Aniban ng Manggagawang Inaapi sa<br> Hanjin Garments (AMIHAN) and one among those<br> terminated.<br><br> "Panahon na para ipaglaban namin ang aming karapatan<br>
upang maging regular na manggagawa. Mula nang<br> mag-operate ang Hanjin, labindalawang taon namin<br> tiniis ang pagiging kontraktwal. Kung kaya, wala<br> kaming ibang nakikitang solusyon dito kundi ang<br> mag-unyon at ipaglaban ang aming makatwirang interes.<br>
(It's high time that we fight for our rights to become<br> regular workers. We bear the brunt of being<br> contractual workers for 12 years, since the company<br> operated. It is in this situation that we see no<br>
other solution but to unionize and fight for our<br> legitimate interests.)," explained Capistrano.<br><br> Macale reported that sewers who have been in service<br> to the company for five months to one year receive<br>
only P160 daily wage, while one year and above receive<br> P260.<br><br> The DOLE-mandated daily wage for Cabuyao is P282.<br><br> "It still depends if you can get that daily P160 wage.<br> If some sewers don't reach the prescribed production<br>
quota or in cases of re-work items, they get to render<br> their overtime services to Hanjin for free," explained<br> Capistrano.<br><br> Aside from the demand of regularization, Hanjin<br> workers also complained of poor working conditions,<br>
non-payment of leaves, and irregular SSS and Pag-Ibig<br> remittance.<br><br> "The company also deducts P10 during paydays. We are<br> also forced to sign 2 payslips, one of which we are<br> not allowed to see the content," said Capistrano.<br>
<br> Meanwhile, the militant Pagkakaisa ng Manggagawa sa<br> Timog Katagalugan (PAMANTIK-KMU) expressed solidarity<br> to the Hanjin workers.<br><br> "We have seen the worse of these Korean-owned<br> companies exploiting workers from Fashion House<br>
Garments, Chong Won, Phils Joen, and now with Hanjin<br> Garments. And yet, the government of Gloria<br> Macapagal-Arroyo which promised employment generation<br> by the millions has done nothing for the cause of<br> these workers," said Romeo Legaspi, chairman of<br>
PAMANTIK-KMU.<br><br> "What we see and experience is the massacre of regular<br> jobs by these foreign capitalists and the Arroyo<br> government. Even the contractual employment has been<br> deprived us for the mere suspicion that we are forming<br>
a union, as if unionism is a terrorist activity."<br><br> "The Hanjin workers' struggle represents the plight of<br> contractual workers. The only way for regularization<br> is thru collective action, thru unionism. And thru<br>
this concerted actions, we prepare for strike which is<br> our main weapon in achieving our purpose of<br> regularization," concluded Legaspi.###<br>