Davao City (UPDATED) – While they cannot physically support the strike of its local chapter, labor leaders from the national leadership of a labor group expressed their support via ‘selfie’ for the workers of Radio Mindanao Network (RMN) Davao.
Read related story: Radio station workers in Davao City goes on strike
In their Facebook account, the local Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) chapter in Davao region posted photos of their national and regional leaders carrying a paper with a call of support for the strikers.
The photos were taken during the group’s national council meeting held in Manila last October 3 to 5.
Some of the leaders who participated in the ‘selfie’ support were Romeo Legaspi, president of the Organization of Labor Associations in Line Industries and Agriculture or OLALIA-KMU; Christopher Oliquino of Coalition of Autoworkers and related industries against Imperialist Domination (CAR-AID); Roque Polido, chairperson of Pagkakaisa ng Manggagawa sa Timog-Katagalugan (PAMANTIK); and Lito Ustarez, national Vice President of KMU.
RMN Davao Employees Union launched their second strike at 1:00PM on October 2 after several conciliation meetings with the management failed. The union won their strike last 2012 yet the management remained adamant in implementing the provisions set in the collective bargaining agreement (CBA).
“We condemn the RMN Davao management for violating its CBA with its employees in a desperate attempt to bust their union. This is an attack against workers’ right to unionize and their hard-won victories when it comes to wages, job security, and union rights,” said KMU chairperson Elmer “Bong” Labog in a statement Wednesday.
The group also hit the RMN Davao management for “conniving with the Aquino government in attacking its workers’ rights by actively taking part in government’s counter-insurgency Operation Plan Bayanihan in using military and police agents to meddle with the labor dispute and harass union leaders and members.”
“The RMN Davao has not only violated workers’ rights to unionize, but also violated its workers’ democratic rights. It has even been employing commentators for the sole purpose of red-baiting union leaders, making them vulnerable to human-rights violation by state security forces under Oplan Bayanihan,” Labog said.
“We are overwhelmed by the support shown by the leaders of KMU. The support coming from various organizations is important to us,” says Gina Hitgano, president of RDEU. (davaotoday.com)
