The Makabayan Bloc filed the Union Independence Act of 2021 in Congress on September 19 to prohibit any person from harassing, theatening or coercing workers and unions. This was filed amid reports of successive red-tagging incidents against unions in export processing zones, and incidents involving workers being coerced to renounce their affiliations to the Kilusang Mayo Uno.

The red-tagging campaign and unabated harassment against workers and unionists are perpetrated by the National Task Force to End Local Communict Armed Conflict and the Joint Industrial Peace and Concerns Office o JIPCO which were established in labor enclaves.

On top of this, the Philippine National Police is also attempting to attack workers under the proposed establishment of the Alliance for Industrial Peace and Program Office (AIPPO) which will give police the authority to intervene in labor disputes.

Labor groups assert that JIPCO and AIPPO will only result in widespread and systematic attacks on workers’ rights to unionize. This will further worsen the exploitation and plight suffered by workers in export processing zones.