Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Superstar company is anti-worker, anti-women - GABRIELA



Davao City – Progressive women’s organization GABRIELA manifested its support to the beleaguered workers of Superstar Coconut Products Company, Incorporated in a protest action held in front of the regional office of the Department of Labor and Employment yesterday.

“Kontra-trabahante ug kontra-kababayen-an ang kompanya sa Superstar. Angay lang nga paspasan na og pag-imbestiga sa DOLE ang reklamo sa mga mamumuo ug patubagon ang mga tao sa management nga wala nag-atiman sa kahimtang sa ilang mga trabahante nga kadaghanan mga babaye,” said Corazon Espinoza, Vice-Chairperson of GABRIELA and head of the local urban poor women’s organization, Samahan ng Maralitang Kababaihang Nagkakaisa or SAMAKANA

Around 50 women workers and support group of Superstar workers coming from progressive organizations picketed in front of DOLE Region XI and demanded to look into the complaints of the workers against the management.

For Grace Makatuna, a mother of three kids who has worked for eight years at Superstar Coconut Company, their condition as women workers are hapless and inhumane.

“Kadaghanan sa mga trabahante didto sa Superstar mga babaye nga nakasinati sa dili maayong palisiya sa kompanya,” Makatuna said.

“Kung naa mi bation sa lawas ingnan ra mi nga nag-atik-atik mi ug dili pirmahan ang among sick leave.Wala mi ka-pilian kay maka-absent mi ug gani pag mag-absent ilaha pang isuspinde, tulo kaadlaw warning. Kung muabsent na sad ka, kinse ka adlaw napud nga suspension hangtod tanggal na dayon sa trabaho,”  she said.

Workers of Superstar have long been complaining about the lack of clinic inside the company given that the firm employs more than a thousand workers.

Aside from the lack of health facilities, the management also failed to supply the necessary equipment and gears to protect the workers from work related accidents.  Workers of Superstar are the ones who pay for their gloves, uniform and even the knives use by “parers” (workers who peel the thin and brownish coating from pieces of de-shelled coconuts).

“Women workers should be accorded with humane working conditions. We even have a city ordinance which comply companies to provide seats for all the women workers.  
Lingkuranan nalang gani, dili pa mahatag sa kompanya kay ang mga trabahante man ang mopalit, kung magpagamit man sila og lingkuranan panahon ra nga kung adunay bisita o inspection ang DOLE ug uban pang ahensya,” Espinoza said.

“Busa angay lang nga paspasan sa DOLE ang pagresolba sa kaso sa mga trabahante sa Superstar ug patubagon ang mga anaa sa management,” she said.

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