APC denounce the bio-ethanol plant for exploitation and deception of agricultural workers [Philippines]

PRESS STATEMENT

January 28, 2012

San Mariano, Isabela, PHILIPPINES -  More than 200 agricultural workers of the BNR Construction & Development and Metaphil, the subcontractor companies of Japan Gas Corporation, started their strike on January 21, 2012 for withholding their 13^th month pay and arbitrary dismissal of twenty (20) co-workers  who joined a protest rally.

“The agricultural workers have been working in the said companies for more than six to seven months who were from Cebu and from the municipalities of Benito Soliven, Naguilian and San Mariano in Isabela. In their Project Employment Contract and Contract of Temporary Employment, it says that they can be terminated anytime and  they will remain contractual employees, “ said Rommel de Guzman, Acting Chairperson of the Unyon ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura (UMAMI) in Isabela.

“ We condemn the BNR Construction & Development and Metaphil for non-payment of the workers 13^th month pay. The companies keep on promising them that their 13^th month pay will be released on January 15 and again on January 21, but nothing happens,” added de Guzman.

In 2006, the local government  of Isabela signed a contract with the JapaneseFilipino consortium named Green Futures Innovations (GFI) to begin a 6-billion peso bio-ethanol project using sugarcane feedstock. The GFI intended to sell electricity produced from the by-products of the sugarcane processing. The company aims to plant sugarcane in 11, 000 hectares covering17 barangays (villages) in Isabela province to be able to produce125,000 liters of ethanol daily. The multi-billion project also aims to  produce 100,000 MW of energy annually. The plantation growing operations have been contracted by Ecofuel Land Development Inc. 

“The agricultural workers (who work as welder, carpenter, mason and steel man) were assigned to build the bio-ethanol plant of the Japan Gas Corporation and Green Future Innovations in Isabela. The bio-ethanol project also consist of a  19 megawatt cogeneration and ethanol processing facilities concentrated in San Mariano,” according to Diony Yadao, Chairperson of Danggayan Dagiti Mannalon ti Isabela (DAGAMI) in Isabela.

Work stoppage

“On January 21, at 11:00 in the morning , the strike started led by 134 agricultural workers. The company then promised to give the workers demand on January 24.

In the afternoon of January 24, the workers were shocked when they received their 13^th month pay amounting ranging from PHP 15.00 ( US $0.35) to PHP 82.00 ( US $2.00) only. Where in fact, a worker has to receive from PHP 5,000.00 (US $116.30) to PHP 6,990.00 (US $ 162.56) based on the minimum wage for non-agricultural workers.

In Region 2,  the minimum wage is PHP237 (US $ 5.5) per day however, they only received PHP 220 (US $5.11) per day. Worse, the company insists that they will deduct the PHP 1,000 ( US $23.25) Christmas bonus given to them on December last year from their 13^th month pay. Because of this, two hundred four ( 204) agricultural workers started their work stoppage,” de Guzman remarked.

Deception and exploitation

Danilo Ramos, secretary general of KMP  and the Asian Peasant Coalition (APC) said, “The company is extremely exploiting the workers for non-payment of the overtime work until 2:00 in the morning or 120 hours per month which is equivalent to PHP 3,300 (US $78.00); the differential work on Sundays and holidays; and non-remittance of their Social Security System (SSS) contributions.

As a condition in giving benefits, both BNR and Metaphil companies deceived the workers to sign documents written in English, which was not understood by the workers.  Later, the workers discovered that the papers they’ve signed is a resignation letter and quit claim -- without a date and no amount was indicated stating that the company has given them their benefits or wages.”

“These companies even claim that they will suffer loss and will later pull out in Isabela if they give the 13^th month pay of the workers. Why are these companies talking like this? They have the moral and legal obligation to provide the workers with their basic social security rights. The Department of Labor and Employment and local government units turned out to be useless for doing nothing,” added Ramos.

Agricultural workers demand

The statement said the workers are demanding for the abolition of the Labor Contractualization that exploits them. They are not afraid if the company will close down. They just want to receive what is due for them.  That they can live without the bio-ethanol project.

“The agricultural workers came to DAGAMI and UMAMI for help and they firmly asserted the following: (1) immediately give in full their 13th month pay including their work on Sundays; (2) reinstate the workers that was arbitrarily terminated because they joined a protest rally; (3) issue a clearance, give full travel allowance, pay the PHP 90 per day wage increase from October 1, 2011, whether the workers had resigned or the company closes; (4) for the workers who went back in Cebu, the company should give what is due to them through their local offices in Cebu; (5) and cancel all blank resignation paper and quit claim,” ended Yadao.

“Yesterday, January 27, both companies continue to force them to sign undated resignation papers and blank quitclaims before giving the partial 13th month pay with illegal deductions. The workers said they are planning to resume their strike even if their contract of work is until the end of February 2012 only,” Ramos stressed.

The DAGAMI is the provincial chapter of KMP in Isabela while the UMAMI is the provincial chapter of UMA also in Isabela. The KMP and UMA is a member of the Asian Peasant Coalition (APC).  #