Hundreds Jobless After Steel Plant Raids; Labor Groups Criticize Govt. Response

Labor groups have decried the displacement of hundreds of workers following a series of raids on steel plants in Luzon and Mindanao. The Federation of Free Workers (FFW) and the Kilusang Mayo Uno-Southern Mindanao Region (KMU-SMR) slammed the raids conducted by the Department of National Defense (DND), Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), which they said left about 900 workers jobless. In a statement, FFW president Sonny Matula said that if the primary concern behind the raids was the presence of undocumented workers, officials from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) should have been part of the government operations. KMU-SMR also decried the displacement of more than 300 workers at Davao Mighty Steel following a raid on its steel plant in Barangay Ilang, Bunawan. “If this was truly a rescue operation, where is the rescue for workers who now face unemployment, uncertainty and the prospect of feeding their families without a steady income?” it asked. “We stand in solidarity with the displaced Davao Mighty Steel workers and demand immediate assistance, protection of their rights, and accountability from the agencies responsible for the operation and its aftermath.” Operatives earlier ordered the shutdown of Chuangxing Steel Inc., a steel manufacturing plant in Magalang, Pampanga, resulting in job losses for 347 Filipino workers and 37 Chinese nationals. A similar raid was conducted in May at a steel manufacturing plant in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental, displacing up to 316 workers. The grounds for the raids included the presence of undocumented workers, mostly Chinese nationals; the possession and use of industrial materials containing radioactive substances; and the production of substandard steel products. The PAOCC has since defended the series of raids on steel plants, saying it was merely carrying out its mandate to enforce the law. The law enforcement operations were aimed at addressing alleged violations of nuclear safety and consumer protection laws. Amid the series of raids and resulting job displacements, the NBI identified 20 factories that allegedly sell and distribute substandard and radioactive steel products. — VBL, GMA News