Laid off and unfairly dismissed workers from different companies aired their grievances  in front of Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to call for justice and labor rights, on the eve of Labor Day.

Workers from Advan Shoes, People’s Journal and Toyota Motors Inc., with Defend Job Philippines, rallied in front of DOLE main office, bringing with them paper Advan shoes and newspaper placards. The placards bore calls to act on the illegal shutdown of the Advan factory, end to contractualization, and action on fabricated cases filed against workers, as well as action on calls for significant wage hike.

Nenita Gonzaga, vice chairperson for women of Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), said that the government is mandated to provide work for its people. “Di kami [walang alam]. Nalalaman namin ang ginagawa ninyo…Tungkulin ng gobyerno na bigyan ng trabaho ang kanyang mga mamamayan.” (We are not clueless. We know what you in the government are doing. It is the task of government to provide for jobs for the people.)

The workers also brought attention to the labor case at the People’s Journal, whose workers won its cases in the Supreme Court and National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) regarding the implementation of wage hike, reinstatement of unjustly dismissed employees and payment of retirement benefits and other allowances.

Until now, however, the workers still await for the actual implementation of the said decisions.

Vice President of the Journal Employees Union and Journal employee Jerry Serue, said that there contonies to be a backlog in their wage distribution since 2008.

The management continues to deduct from their salaries mandatory payments for Philhealth, Pagibig and SSS. But the union claimed that the Romuladez-owned company had not been remitting the said benefits to the concerned agencies.

While Journal employees await decision on their cases, meanwhile, other workers are stuck waiting for the hearing of their cases.

Lisa Malimata, worker from Advan Shoes, said that it has been three months since they filed the case in NLRC regarding the illegal shutdown of their factory. Around 200 workers were left without benefits, despite many  of them working for almost 20 years in the company.

The workers condemned these “anti-worker” practices left unchecked by the Aquino government.

Meanwhile, workers from People Democratic Hawkers and Vendors Alliance in Luneta Park last week again filed another case in addition to their pending cases in NLRC and the Ombudsman office.

They complained of the harsh methods employed by the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) in driving them away from the park. Last April, where MMDA men  removed and destroyed stalls of vendors inside Luneta Park.

A child, one female and two males were hurt in the confrontation.

“Inalisan kami ng karapatan maghanap-buhay sa Luneta Park,” (They took away our right to livelihood at Luneta Park) said a vendor, who identified herself as Nanay Nila.

The park administration insisted that the vendors were a hindrance to the beautification program in Luneta.

After they were forcibly removed inside the park, Nila said that they relocated their stores outside the park. Even as their cases are still being heard,  the vendors complained that they continue to experience harassment.