Earlier, Morales said the workers are preparing to fight it through until DITFI and Dole-Stanfilco reinstate them and continue with the negotiations for their collective bargaining agreement (CBA).
Their non-appearance in the hearing and continued disregard to our just demands only show how resolved they are in keeping our families hungry. Our families have already joined us in the picketline and more and more people in Panabo are understanding our struggle. This has become a peoples struggle against the exploitation of transnational Dole-Stanfilco, he explained.
Morales also berated the “shameless campaign” of the AFP against their legitimate struggle. The continued presence of members of the military in the picketline, the open smear campaign of Maj. Medel Aguilar, and the daily ungrounded tirades of agents of the AFP in a local radio show will never wane our unity, said Morales. Right after the announcement of closure on October 8, elements of the military in full battle gear have frequented the picketline.
The AFP has again unmasked itself of all its pretensions, added Omar Bantayan, secretary general of Kilusang Mayo Uno-Southern Mindanao Region (KMU-SMR). The pronouncements of Maj. Aguilar only manifests the trademark of the putrid AFP systemlapdogs to the greed of capitalists and enemy to the interests of workers and the people. It only galvanized the truth that workers have come to realize in the picketline: that they can depend on nothing but their unity and the support of the people.
Earlier this week, Aguilar openly blamed the workers and KMU for the closure of management.
Dole Stanfilco arbitrarily declared closure of DITFI, its hauling and transport services company, on October 8, effecting the illegal termination of its 270-odd workforce. However, operations in the company has carried on, as haulers still transport Dole-Stanfilcos products and facilities inside the container yard continued to run.
Not only did Dole-Stanfilco not comply with lawful requirements regarding the closure of DITFI, but is also trying to wash its hand clean of its responsibility to us, declared Morales. In a press conference last week, Dole Stanfilco declared that a company called Saranggani Realty Corporation owned DITFI.
Senior workers reiterated that during the 15 years of their employment in DITFI, they have always known that Dole Stanfilco owned the company and have never heard of a Saranggani Realty Corporation before. At the picketline they mounted in front of the company, workers showed daily time records, certificates and uniforms as proof that Dole Stanfilco was their real employer.
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