Last Wednesday was International Worker’s Day, a day that helps remind us that workers are interconnected around the world because we are struggling for very similar things: a decent livelihood, dignified work, basic workers’ rights, and union recognition that will help us achieve all of those goals and more.
Too often workers and their unions are forced to go through a costly and lengthy legal process to achieve justice. The case of the Digitel Employees Union (DEU) in the Philippines is one such example where the DEU had to take their case all the way to the Supreme Court of the Philippines. Despite all odds they won!
Unfortunately, the Philippines telecommunications giant, the Philippines Long Distance Telecommunication Inc. (PLDT), who “owns” Digitel, has made moves to deny this worker victory. MAKABAYAN, a labour central in the Philippines, has reached out to its international allies with an urgent request for solidarity for DEU.
CULE members may recall that we have fostered a close international solidarity relationship with MAKABAYAN over several years now.
The CULE Solidarity Committee unanimously asked our President, Dave Jackson, to write a letter of support for DEU to the parties concerned. We hope to provide further updates as news develops.