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In Banana Plantations, Soldiers Bust Unions, Harass Workers

An international fact-finding mission says the military is being used by plantations in Southern Mindanao to harass and intimidate workers from forming or joining unions.

Workers at FBAC's Packing Plant 98 (davaotoday.com photo by Barry Ohaylan)

DAVAO CITY (davaotoday.com) ? A fact-finding mission composed of delegates from several countries questioned on Friday the Philippine military?s participation in union-busting and intimidation of workers in plantations in Southern Mindanao.

The delegates, who completed on Friday a four-day fact-finding mission in a banana plantation in Compostela Valley province, said the military is being used by plantations to harass workers, particularly when the workers? union is engaged in campaigns to improve wages and work conditions.

?We?ve heard complaints by the workers about soldiers present during union negotiations,? said Holly Patterson, a delegate from Australia. At one point, she told reporters in a press conference on Friday, soldiers confiscated the original copy of the union?s collective bargaining agreement.

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Arroyo, the press and international pressure

The killings of journalists have long been the focus of attention of international media groups. But instead of responding positively, this regime has done nothing but deny, deny, deny the fact that the Philippines is the second-most dangerous country in the world for journalists, next to Iraq. ?

A bit of good news today: the US Senate has put more pressure on the Arroyo regime regarding the killings of journalists. In an inquiry, U.S. senators expressed their concern about the deteriorating press-freedom situation in the Philippines.

?Democracy depends on the free flow of information to the public, which depends on a press free to do its work without government intimidation,? said Richard Lugar, the chairman of the foreign-relations committee, as quoted by the Inquirer.

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International Probers to Look Into Harassment of Workers in Davao?s Banana Plantations

The mission aims to investigate the recent spates of killing and harassment of labor and trade union leaders in the Philippines. Last year, according to the Kilusang Mayo Uno, 31 leaders, members and sympathizers of labor unions were murdered around the country.

By Cheryll D. Fiel
davaotoday.com

DAVAO CITY ? Delegates from several countries arrived in Davao City on Tuesday and are set to investigate this week the alleged harassments by the military of union leaders and members in Southern Mindanao. They would also look into reported violations of workers? rights and welfare in banana plantations.

Some 36 delegates, several of them from other countries, paid a courtesy call to Mayor Rodrigo Duterte early in the day; he assured them that they would be safe in the region, and even gave them his mobile phone number in case they are stopped in military checkpoints in Compostela Valley province, where they are scheduled to do ocular inspections of banana plantations.

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