Statement
Defend Job Philippines, Regent Food Workers Union and the Unyon ng mga Manggagawa sa Regent Food Corporation today welcomed the first public statement of Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto on the long-standing labor disputes in the said company and the violent dispersal of the unions’ pickeltine strike in Pasig City and Taguig City last November 9, that led to the arrests and more than a week of detention of 20 striking workers, 2 volunteers of Defend Job Philippines and one tricycle driver.
In his social media account, Mayor Vico Sotto posted a statement defending the workers right to strike and a strong message against the Regent management condemning the misuse of privileged position to suppress the rights of protesting workers.
He also warned the management to rethink its positions against its workers if they still “want to have a healthy relationship with the city.”
Sotto also vowed to help in the bail and the process for the immediate release of the 11 remaining detained workers and their supporters who are still in detention at the Pasig City Police Headquarters. The relatives of the 12 others have initiated hard enough to raise the bail for their release last Friday.
As the local chief executive of Pasig City, we believe that Mayor Sotto’s open statement of support to the striking and protesting workers of Regent Food Corporation is instrumental and beneficial in proving the justness of the aired grievances of the labor unions as they mounted their strikes in Pasig City and Taguig City.
The statement must also serve as a strong message against the Regent management and its cohorts who planned and executed the illegal, violent and overkill dispersal of the labor strike last week.
We urge Mayor Sotto to help the workers return to their work as regular employees immediately and to support and assist them in their upcoming legal battles and hearings, as well as in prosecuting those involved in the dispersal including Irwin and Susan See; Social Justice Security Agency; officials of the National Capital Region Police Office; Chito Herbolingo (military agent-provocateur); Marvin Nocillado (bogus labor leader of the Regent management); among many others.
To date, aside from the charges being faced by the Regent 23, the Regent management is set to file more cases against the leaders and members of the unions.
We will not let the Regent management prosper in sowing fear against our ranks. We will not be coward and will continue the struggle until those who abused us for the longest time will not be prosecuted.
It is them that must be held accountable over their long list of abuses against their workers including decades-long of contractualization, low wages, unpaid benefits, unfair labor practices, violation on their rights to union and strike, runaway shop attempts among others.
Our fight is definitely far from over.
#RegentStrike
#BoycottRegentProducts
#FreeTheRegent23
