The Revolutionary Council of Trade Unions – Bikol (RCTU-Bikol) extends its firm support of the 140 Wyeth-Nestle workers who were illegally dismissed and barred from work since May 18. The sudden lockout of workers including 10 union officials is unjustifiable. In the midst of grave destitution and poverty, dismissing them from work is as good as directly starving their families and divesting them of the security of life.

What the Wyeth-Nestle workers experience now has also been endured by the many other Filipino workers and may also befall the rest. Basically, the capitalists and businessmen’s interests for superprofits stand in opposition of the workers’ interests for just wages and job security. The capitalist will always find a way to devour larger profits including dismissal of its workers, lowering their wages, enforcing contractualization and other slave-like work policies among others.

Furthermore, nothing can be expected from a state that serves these capitalists. In fact, Marcos ceaselessly hawks the Filipino cheap labor across other nations and to foreign investors.

That is why the current struggle of Wyeth-Nestle workers is not just theirs. This fight is the fight of every worker throughout the country. This is every worker’s struggle for job security, right to union, anti-contractualization and for humane and just work policies.

All Bikolano workers and the rest across the nation must only stand in unity. They must continue in forming and strengthening their unions that will lead their solid struggles. It is only just that in Bikol and the entire country, workers declare with all their might their democratic demands for job security, wage increases and humane work policies.