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KMU hits labor secretary over AJ at Lepanto

BAGUIO CITY (May 11) — The Kilusang Mayo Uno-Cordillera (KMU-Cordillera) slammed labor secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas for issuing Assumption of Jurisdiction (AJ) over the Notices of Strike (NOS) filed by the Lepanto Employees Union (LEU) and the Lepanto Security Force Union (LSFU).

LEU President Ninian Lang-agan and LSFU President Andres Victoriano were furnished a copy each of the order of Sto. Tomas assuming jurisdiction over their labor dispute with Lepanto Consolidated Mining Company (LCMCo).

Sto. Tomas’ order said that Lepanto mines is engaged in an industry indispensable to national interest.

“Therefore if the intended and imminent strike is not timely averted, the supply of precious metals in the market would be threatened. Thus an order by the labor secretary for an AJ over the labor dispute is the only speedy and timely intervention that will stop the possible consequences of a strike,” the order stated.

Reacting to the issuance an AJ, KMU-Cordillera, in a statement, said that Sto. Tomas never learned from the criticisms and condemnations she earned on the series of human rights violations due to her issuance of AJ orders. The latest being the massacre in Hacienda Luisita on November last year.

KMU-Cordillera’s statement said that the AJ do not protect the interest of the working class but rather favor the capitalists.

“Assumption of Jurisdiction order is a direct interference and impediment to the right of the workers to strike. It is a desecration of the basic, important and sacred right of the workers which is innate in their history of struggle. This will serve as a blanket prohibition to all labor strikes in the country,” the KMU statement furthered.

KMU added that Sto. Tomas keeps on justifying companies with labor differences with their employees as indispensable to the national interest. “ Sto. Tomas never looked at the role played by the laborers in building up the economy of the country,” KMU stressed.

KMU maintains that the AJ also violates the workers’ rights to due process and legalize the use of force and violence by the government’s armed forces to disperse picketing workers.

The KMU is calling for the ouster of the labor secretary because of her issuance of AJ. KMU said that Sto. Tomas is responsible for the death of many workers who are just fighting for their rights.

In the 1st strike of LEU last February of 2003, Sto. Tomas issued an AJ over the strike. This resulted in the violent dispersal of the striking workers by PNP-Mankayan aided by hired goons.
The strike vote referendum both unions conducted last April 20 in Lepanto resulted in an overwhelming YES vote to strike. # Aldwin Quitasol and Leonida Tundagui for NORDIS

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