National Union of Journalists of the Philippines
Davao City Chapter
1 September 2014
PRESS STATEMENT
NUJP Davao City Chapter condemns harassment of RMN Davao workers, press for CBA re-negotiation
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines Davao City Chapter condemns the harassment of workers belonging to the Radio Mindanao Network (RMN) Davao Employees Union (RDEU) who are in the midst of gearing for a strike due to the refusal of the RMN management to open re-negotiation for the collective bargaining agreement (CBA).
The RDEU is geared for a strike as the management has not given counter-proposals to the CBA that has expired last July 28.
Three RMN workers said they received the same text message identifying three radio workers and two unnamed technicians as involved in activities with the communist movement.
The text message said the five attended a “basic party course” and are being subjected to an “Oplan (Operation Plan) Princes”.
In another incident last Tuesday, an unidentified man took video footages of their protest at noon time at close range of about a meter away. The man said he just wanted to “take a remembrance” of the protesters.
Union members followed the person who boarded a sports utility vehicle with no license plate and sped off. On that incident, two other people were also seen taking videos and took off on a motorcycle.
Workers believe that these maneuvers were made by state security members, and are timed to thwart them from their ongoing struggle with the RMN management for a new CBA.
We condemn the harassment of workers and demand an investigation on these incidents. Such attacks are like a death sentence to media workers who have legitimate demands for better wages, rights and working conditions.
The grievances of the RDEU deserve attention from the government and not harassments. The RMN management refused to negotiate for new terms of the CBA. Aside from that, they have been hiring contractual workers in violation of the CBA. Such actions prompted the RDEU to vote unanimously at 17-0 to hold a strike due to the company’s “refusal to bargain, unfair labor practice and labor busting.”
The NUJP Davao urges the Department of Labor and Employment to address the demands of the RDEU workers and to work for the re-negotiation of the CBA.
If DOLE can do this task, Filipino journalists would not have been called as “one of the most poorly paid workers in the country” even if the work they do is “one of the most dangerous.”
We reiterate the quote from the International Federation of Journalists saying “There can be no press freedom if journalists exist in conditions of corruption, poverty or fear”.
Thus we reiterate our support to the legal, constitutional and moral right of workers to strike to press forward their economic and political demands. #
JESSIE CASALDA
Chair, NUJP Davao City Chapter
