Laguna workers launched a picket protest on October 17 in solidarity with the weekly Black Friday protest against the Marcos regime’s massive corruption. Unions under the Alliance of Workers in the Province of Laguna and Unity of Workers in Southern Tagalog–May First Movement (Pamantik-KMU) joined the action.

Unions from Philfoods Fresh Baked Products Inc, Gardenia Bakeries Phils, Technol Eight Philippines, Daiwa, Fuji Electric, Ebara, Wyeth Philippines, and Yakult held brief programs and noise barrages in their respective workplaces. They denounced the corruption under the Marcos regime that further impoverish ordinary citizens like them.

Gardenia Philippines capitalist and Laguna International Industrial Park Association (LIIP) Inc president Simplicio Umali Jr suppressed the workers’ protest inside the LIIP enclave in Biñan. He even prohibited workers from wearing a red t-shirt as a form of protest.

Pamantik-KMU condemned LIIP’s violation of the workers’ right to peaceful protest and expression. The group also condemned the National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB) Region 4A for its inutility and refusal to defend the workers against LIIP.

NCMB-4A said it can do nothing as it has no jurisdiction over the LIIP. “This is clearly a labor dispute instigated by the LIIP giant capitalists. Workers’ issues inside the enclave must fall within NCMB and DOLE jurisdiction, and these agencies must intervene in such matters,” Pamantik-KMU said.

Workers in the region and Pamantik-KMU understand that these attacks by the capitalists and LIIP aim to prevent raising awareness of other workers in the enclave. “This is a suppression of their basic rights to unionize or form organizations to fight for living wages and humane conditions inside factories,” the group stated.

Meanwhile, they also condemned the National Task Force-Elcac’s series of Red-tagging and harassment against Pamantik-KMU and Olalia-KMU labor leaders. “This is where the billions of pesos of taxpayers’ money go—to the NTF-Elcac buthchers and mercenaries for persecution, filing fabricated cases, and killings!” declared Pamantik-KMU.

Pamantik-KMU called on fellow workers not to be intimidated and to act collectively by stepping out beyond their factories’ confines to resist this repression by the state and the capitalists.