News
Sulpicio Lines workers win strike
WORKERS of Sulpicio Lines won a two-day strike launched July 29-30. The strike led by the Unyon ng Mandaragat sa Sulpicio Shipping and Solid Towage and Litherage halted the voyages of 24 out of Sulpicio Lines' 27 passenger and cargo ships. The union was able to put a stop to the illegal termination of workers. The union also put a stop to the powerful role played by the yellow Associated Labor Union-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) in firing workers.
The Kilusang Mayo Uno-Alliance of Nationalist Genuine Labor Organizations (KMU-ANGLO) and the Professional Solidarity for Social Concerns supported the strike. The bulk of those who launched the work stoppage came from the 900 employees of Pier 12, North Harbor in Tondo, Manila. Workers in Cebu City, Tacloban, Ormoc and Cagayan de Oro followed through with their own mass actions.
Nestl� picket line violently attacked
STRIKING workers of Nestl� Philippines in Cabuyao, Laguna strongly condemned the intensifying attacks on their ranks by capitalists, labor agencies, elements of the Special Warfare Team (SWAT), Regional Mobile Group and Nestl� security guards. The complaint was brought on by two incidents of violence against their picket line on June 23 and June 24.
According to PAMANTIK (Pagkakaisa ng mga Manggagawa sa Timog Katagalugan), members of the United Filipino Employees Drug, Food and Allied Services-KMU were having a general meeting when they were assaulted by police, security guards and other paid goons. Stones, wood and tear gas grenades rained over them and water cannons were used to bomb the 500 strikers holding a meeting.
More than 30 strikers were wounded and taken to hospital as a result of the three-hour clash between the strikers and men on the imperialist company's payroll.
Strike at Bondex Garments and Alsons victorious
Over 100 strikers of Bondex Garments Corporation at the Export Processing Zone in Angeles, Pampanga prevailed over management's attempt to remove officials and members of their union.
The Bondex workers' week-long strike was supported by more than 400 workers from their sister company Goldon Garments Factory. Bondex and Goldon now have a joint union and negotiations have begun for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement for Goldon workers.
Meanwhile, in Cagayan de Oro, 81 workers of Alcantara & Sons (Alsons) have been reinstated after a five-year wait for justice. The National Labor Relations Council Fifth Division ordered Alsons to reinstate the workers and to pay their cumulative backpay now worth P17 million. Prior to this, the workers lost their jobs after the NLRC declared the strike which they launched on August 23, 1998 illegal. Alsons is one of the biggest companies in the Philippines producing wood products.
Mountaineer kidnapped by RPA-ABB
The kidnap-murder by the counterrevolutionary and bandit RPA-ABB group of a mountaineer missing since February was bared this July. Leovic Gutierez, a mountaineer, was with eleven others who climbed Mt Madia-as in Culasi, Antique on February 16 when he was kidnapped by elements of the RPA-ABB under Daniel Batoy (alias Mokong and Arlene). Batoy heads the RPA-ABB in Panay.
According to the account of Joshue Alejo, one of the mountaineers' guides, the RPA-ABB conspired with him to kidnap Gutierez and demand ransom for his freedom. RPA-ABB elements even pretended to join Philippine Army troops in search of Gutierez from March to June. Alejo also said that he was brought by the RPA-ABB to Barangay Monlaque, Ibajay, Aklan on June 1 and tortured to make him admit that he was the one who "killed Gutierez and knows where he was buried."
In a statement to the media, Julian Paisano, spokesperson of the Coronacion "Waling-Waling" Chiva Command of the NPA-Panay, said that the RPA-ABB may have killed Gutierez to cover up their crime.
| 
