Category: France

  • Sister Pat

    Sister Pat

    “It is part of my religious mission to stand with the poor” – Sr. Patricia Fox.

    Mga pahayag mula kay Sr. Pat, mother superior ng Our Lady of Sion Congregation sa Pilipinas. Kamakailan lamang ay naging laman siya ng mga balita sa loob at labas ng bansa dahil sa iligal na pagdakip at pagkulong ng Bureau of Immigration sa kanya.

    Si Sr. Pat ay 27 taon nang nagsasagawa ng kanyang missionary work sa hanay ng mga magsasaka at katutubo sa Gitnang Luzon. Pinaparatangan siya ngayong ‘undesirable alien’ ng gubyernong Duterte dahil umano sa kanyang pagsali sa mga ‘political activity’. Ngayon ay nahaharap siya sa posibleng deportasyon. Naglabas na ng kautusan ang Bureau of Immigration na kailangan ng umalis ng bansa ni Sr. Pat sa loob ng 30 araw.

    Nakadaupang palad ko si Sr. Pat taong 2014. Ito ang panahong nagkaroon ako ng interes na tumungo sa Hacienda Luisita sa Tarlac upang alamin ang tunay na kalagayan ng mga magsasaka roon. Sa  araw ng sabado at linggo kung saan walang trabaho ay nakakadalaw ako sa Hacienda.  Minsan sa aking pagbisita ay nataon na nagaganap ang isang Peasant Women International Fact Finding Mission na pinangunahan ng AMIHAN National Federation of Peasant Women at Unyon ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura o UMA upang imbestigahan ang direktang pagkamkam sa lupa ng mga Cojuanco-Aquino sa pamamagitan ng tambiolo (raffle draw) lot allocation scheme sa ilalim ng nakaraang gobyerno Aquino.

    Ang IFFM ay dinaluhan ng mahigit 20 katao, 8 rito ay observers mula sa iba’t ibang international organizations mula sa mga bansang Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia at Taiwan. Dito ko unang nakita si Sr. Fox. Kapansin-pansin kay Sr. Pat ang pagkamababang loob nito, hindi naiinip sa mga diskusyon na ‘tila palaging kalma at marunong naring magsalita ng tagalog.

    Mapalad akong makadaupang palad ang mga taong katulad ni Sr. Pat. Isa sa mga unang taong nagpatunay sa akin, na may mga nilikha sa mundo na handang ialay ang kanilang oras, lakas at talino para iangat ang interes ng mga magsasaka at katutubo, ang uring madalas inaapi sa klase ng sistema o lipunan na mayroon tayo ngayon. Ang kanyang pagsama kung nasaan man ang mga magsasaka at katutubo ay patunay lamang na tinutupad nito ang kanyang sinumpaang tungkulin sa kanyang pananampalataya na kalingain ang mga mahihirap.

    Para sa iilan madali lamang manghusga sa kung ano ang pagkatao ni Sr. Pat, madali lamang  ipagkibit-balikat ang inhustisyang kanyang naranasan sa bayan na kanya mismong minahal lalo na’t kung sa telebisyon at Facebook lamang ang batayan ng kuro-kuro at opinyon. Pero para sa mga taong nakasalamuha ni Sr. Pat at sa mga magsasaka na kanyang walang imbot na pinagsilbihan, hindi matatawaran ang kanyang ipinamalas na pagmamahal para sa mga mamamayang hindi naman niya kadugo o kalahi.

    Mabuhay ka Sr. Pat at ang libong taong katulad mo nanagsisilbi sa interes ng mga mahihirap.

     

    Marie Mercado, President

    Nagkakaisang Pilipino sa Pransya

  • Mensahe ng pakikiisa kina Jerome Aba, Sr. Pat atbp tagapagtanggol ng karapatan

    Mensahe ng pakikiisa kina Jerome Aba, Sr. Pat atbp tagapagtanggol ng karapatan

    Mariing kinukundena ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino sa Pransya (NPSP) ang di-makatarungang deportasyon ng gubyernong Estados Unidos kay Jerome Succor Aba, isang lider Moro at peace advocate sa Pilipinas.

    Si Jerome ay ang Vice-Chairperson ng Sandugo (Movement of Moro and Indigenous Peoples for Self-Determination). Kinulong siya ng 28 oras noong ika-17 hanggang ika-18 ng Abril 2018 sa San Francisco International Airport habang pinipigilang makapasok sa loob ng US. Tinanggihan ng mga opisyales ng US ang kanyang karapatang kumausap ng abugado, tinanggihan ding makipag-usap sya sa kanyang mga kaibigan at host sa San Francisco.

    Kinumpiska ng US ang kanyang pasaporte at bagahe, ginapos, nilipat-lipat sa limang kulungan, at pinaranas ng pisikal at sikolohikal na pagpapahirap.

    Nakatakda sanang dumalo si Jerome sa Ecumenical Advocacy Days (EAD) for Global Peace with Justice sa Washington DC noong ika-20 hanggang 23 ng Abril. Panauhin din sya sa iba’t ibang pagtitipon sa USA upang magsalita tungkol sa kalagayan ng mamamayan sa Mindanao sa ilalim ng administrasyong Duterte.

    Ang pagkulong, pagmamalupit at deportasyon ng US kay Jerome ay pumigil sa pagsisiwalat sa mamamayang Amerikano ng mga kalagayan sa Mindanao. Nilalantad nito ang papel ng USsa kalupitang dinaranas ng pambansang minorya sa Mindanao, laluna bilang resulta ng pambobomba, pagwasak at pagkubkob sa s yudad ng Marawi gamit ang mga armas at hukbo ng US. Daang libong Maranaw ang nawalan ng tahanan at kabuhayan, lumikas at hanggang ngayon ay hindi pinahihintulutan na umuwi.

    Kinukundena rin namin ang iligal na pagdakip at pagkulong ng Bureau of Immigration ng Pilipinas kay Sr. Patricia Fox noong ika-16 ng Abril. Si Sr. Pat ay ang Mother Superior ng Our Lady of Sion Congregation sa Pilipinas at 27 taon nang nagsasagawa ng kanyang missionary work sa hanay ng mga magsasaka at katutubo sa Gitnang Luson. Pinaparatangan sya ngayong ‘undersirable alien’ ng gubyernong Duterte dahil umano sa pagsali sa mga ‘political activity’.

    Pinalaya si Sr. Pat matapos ang isang araw ng iligal na pagkulong subalit iimbestigahan pa rin diumano ng gubyernong Duterte.

    Ang dalawang magkahiwalay na insidenteng ito’y manipestasyon ng makitid-na-pagiisip at kalupitan ng gubyernong Duterte at Trump laban sa mga kumikilos para sa kapakanan ng mahihirap at inaapi. Bilang mga manggagawang migrante, lubos na nakakabahala sa amin ang ganitong mga balita dahil araw-araw din naming kinakaharap ang ganitong panganib. Ang pag-atake kay Jerome at Sr. Pat ay pag-atake rin sa aming mga karapatan, laluna’t nabibilang din kami sa naghihirap at inaaping sektor dito sa Pransya at ang aming pamilya sa Pilipinas.

    Kaya naman nakikiisa kami sa iba pang tagapagtanggol ng karapatan sa buong mundo sa pagkundena at sa panawagan para sa hustisya para kina Jerome at Sr. Pat, at para sa iba pang biktima ng paglabag sa karapatang pantao.

    Defend Human Rights Advocates!
    Stop Harassing Human Rights Defenders!
    Resist Crackdowns!

    Nagkakaisang Pilipino sa Pransya
    [email protected]

  • Pandaigdigang Araw ng Kababaihan

    Pandaigdigang Araw ng Kababaihan

    Marso 8, 2018, Pandaigdigang Araw ng mga Kababaihan, nakikibahagi ang Nagkakakaisang Pilipino sa Pransya o NPSP sa pagdiriwang na ito bilang pagkilala sa karapatan at kagalingan ng mga kababaihan. Pagkilala sa karapatan ng pagkakaroon ng disenteng pamumuhay sa sariling bansa at balang araw hindi na mapipilitang makipagsapalaran sa ibayong dagat para lamang buhayin ang pamilya.

    Kinikilala namin ang bawat kababaihang matatag at matapang na humahaharap sa anumang hamon ng buhay. Lubos ang aming paghanga sa mga kababaihang nanatiling nakatindig at lumalaban sa iba’t-ibang isyung panlipunan sa loob at labas na bansa. Ilan sa mga dahilan ng aming pagtindig sa araw na ito ay:

    – Para sa bawat migranteng ina na nawalay sa sariling pamilya upang itaguyod sila, patuloy nating ipinapanawagan ang sapat na trabaho sa loob ng Pilipinas, nakabubuhay na sahod at hindi ang pagtrato sa mamamayan bilang kalakal.

    – Para sa bawat babaeng inabuso, biktima ng diskriminasyon, harassment at represyon sa kabila ng mapait na pinagdaanan sa marahas na lipunan ay patuloy na sumusulong para itaguyod ang kanyang kapakanan, mga pangarap at karapatan.

    – Para sa bawat babaeng pinagkaitan ng sariling pagkakakilanlan,at nagiging biktima ng marahas na kamatayan katulad na lang ni Jennifer Laude at ibang trans women na patuloy na minamaliit at ipinakakait ng patriyarkal na lipunan, susulong kami kasama mo

    – Para sa kabataang makabayan katulad ni Myles Albasin sa gitna ng pasistang paghahari. Nagpupugay kami sa inyong kahandaang maglingkod sa masang Pilipino at kasabay ng paghanga ay ang pakikiisa namin sa ating mga panawagan.

    – Para sa babaeng bagani at mga babaeng namumuno sa kanilang mga komunidad upang ipagtanggol ang lupang ninuno katulad ng lumad lider na si Bai Bibyaon Ligkayan Bigkay

    Ang malaking bilang ng kababaihang migrante, malayo man sa bansa ay patuloy na nagsisikap upang makabalik sa sariling bayan. Sa araw-araw ay tangan namin ang pangarap ng disenteng pamumuhay, seguridad at kasaganahan hindi lamang para sa aming sarili bagkus maging sa bawat pamilyang Pilipino. Ganap lamang itong makakamtan at maisakakatuparan sa pagsusulong ng pagbibigay lunas sa ugat ng pwersahan at malawakang migrasyon patungo sa ibayong dagat.

    Mabuhay ang bawat migranteng kababaihan!
    Mabuhay ang sambayanang Pilipino!

    ————————————————————————————————-
    8 mars 2018, La journée internationale des luttes des femmes et des minorités de genre:
    Nagkakakaisang Pilipino sa Pransya o NPSP lors de cette célébration en reconnaissance des droits et du bien-être des femmes. Reconnaître le droit à une vie décente dans le pays d’origine et un jour ne pas être contraint de s’aventurer à l’étranger pour simplement vivre sa famille.

    Nous reconnaissons chaque femme forte et courageuse qui fait face à n’importe quel défi de la vie. Nous sommes profondément impressionnés par les femmes qui se soulèvent et se battent dans diverses questions sociales à l’intérieur et à l’extérieur du pays. Nous nous sommes ici réunis :

    – Pour chaque mère migrante qui est s’éloignée de sa famille pour pouvoir subvenir à leurs besoins, nous continuons de réclamer un travail décent, aux Philippines, avec des salaires suffisants et un traitement humain.

    – Pour chaque femme maltraitée, pour les victimes de discrimination, de harcèlement, qui, malgré une société violente et répressive, continuent de progresser pour promouvoir leur bien-être, leurs rêves et leurs droits.

    – Pour chaque femme qui manque de reconnaissance et qui est souvent victime de mort violente, comme Jennifer Laude et d’autres femmes trans qui sont fréquemment rabaissées et privées par la société patriarcale, nous avancerons avec vous.

    – Pour une jeunesse patriotique comme Myles Albasin au milieu du régime fasciste. Nous saluons votre volonté de servir les masses philippines et, mis à part notre admiration, nous nous unissons à vous pour poursuivre nos causes.

    – Pour les femmes qui président leurs communautés pour défendre les terres ancestrales telles que le leader autochtone Bai Bibyaon Ligkayan Bigkay.

    Le grand nombre de femmes migrantes, loin du pays, continue de s’efforcer de retourner dans leur pays d’origine. Chaque jour nous sommes les mains du rêve d’une vie décente, de la sécurité et de la prospérité non seulement pour nous-mêmes mais aussi pour chaque famille philippine. Cela ne peut être accompli et réalisé en luttant contre la cause profonde de la migration forcée et de masse vers l’étranger.

    Vivre toutes les femmes migrantes !

    Vivre le peuple philippin!

    Source: Nagkakaisang Pilipino sa Pransya

  • Labor Rights Seminar for Migrant Workers in France

    Labor Rights Seminar for Migrant Workers in France

    October 28, 2017: A Labor Rights Seminar was initiated by Nagkakaisang Pilipino sa Pransya or NPSP together with Pangasinense in Paris held at 85 Rue Charlot, Paris, France.

    The program has two parts. First is the talks about the rights of undocumented workers in case of arrest, the basic rights of both documented and undocumented workers at their work and the basic rules to get the residence permit. The second part of the program is the sharing of concrete conditions of migrants in their work place and entertaining of questions of the attendees.

    NPSP would like to thank every Filipino migrants who gave time to be part of the discussion. We continue to call on our fellow migrants to know and study our basic rights so together we can assert for it, uplift and empower our community.

    The NPSP would also like to thank all our French comrades from CGT for giving as a free space to conduct our activities and the collectives of the struggles of the undocumented workers for facilitating the discussion.

  • Justice for Kian, justice for victims of police murders in the Philippines

    Justice for Kian, justice for victims of police murders in the Philippines

    More than 3,000 killed. This is the conservative count of suspected drug addicts and peddlers killed by the Philippine National Police under the “war on drugs” of the Duterte government.

    Many Filipinos, including those living and working abroad, support this campaign. They want to eradicate the proliferation of illegal drugs and decrease the crime rate in the country. But this has also received widespread criticism from Filipinos and the international community. Police agents are being accused of arbitrarily rounding up residents of urban poor communities and killing them in cold blood because, as the police reports, the suspects “fought back”.

    This is the same story we hear about Kian Loyd de los Santos, a 17-year old grade 11 student, who was killed on 16 August 2017 by agents of the PNP conducting so-called anti-drug operations in Libis Baisa, Caloocan City, in Metro Manila. Reports from the police, Duterte spokespersons and government media mouthpieces claim the young boy fought back. Bystanders and CCTV footages showed otherwise: the unarmed Kian was manhandled by the police agents and then dragged into an alley before he was shot dead.

    Public outrage over the killing has forced Malacañang to issue a warning to the police against committing abuses and the Department of Justice to order an investigation on the police officers who were involved in Kian’s death.

    We, Filipino migrants in France, also cannot remain silent on the issue. Kian is a son of a fellow overseas Filipino worker. We express our heartfelt sympathy to the family of Kian and join the call for justice against the senseless killing. Quoting presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella, “The violent death of any Filipino is one death too many, especially that of Kian Loyd delos Santos.”

    We would like to reiterate that this is not only a call for justice for Kian but also for many others whose lives have become victims of illegal drugs. We are hopeful that this incident would give warning to police authorities abusing their power and would open the eyes of the public to the root causes of the illegal drugs problem that has been hounding Philippine society for decades. The country is mired in extreme poverty, unbridled corruption and injustice. Countless poor people are being drawn into the illegal drug trade for a quick buck and to escape reality.

    In the meantime, government, military and police officials are themselves involved in stockpiling and distributing illegal drugs and protecting the billion-peso illegal trade. These officials are also neck-deep in government corruption, pocketing billions of pesos in public funds. The Duterte administration has not been fulfilling its promise of eradicating corruption. Instead, it has been rewarding corrupt and criminal police and military officials with protection from prosecution and even higher government positions.

    We are one with the call of the Duterte administration to solve the illegal drugs problem, but not at the expense of providing long term and humane solutions to the problem, and certainly not at the expense of the millions of poor people who voted Duterte into power.

    We continue to call for the eradication of poverty and for social justice – for genuine land reform and national industrialization – and the resolution of the country’s chronic problems of landlessness, unemployment, slave wages and sky-rocketing prices of basic necessities. We continue to aspire for the day when we can return home, not to bury our murdered Kian, but to a prosperous and peaceful Philippines, no longer being forced to leave our family and motherland for precious dollars abroad.

    Justice for Kian, justice for all victims of police murders!

    Prosecute and punish criminals in government!

    Rehabilitation not assassination!

    Wage war vs poverty NOT war vs the poor!

     

    Marvin Alicto, President, NPSP

    Mobile No. (+33) 6523116 83

    Marie Mercado, Secretary General, NPSP

    Email: [email protected]

    Mobile No. (+33) 771808910

  • Statement of Migrant Workers in France #SONA2017

    Statement of Migrant Workers in France #SONA2017

    Isang taon matapos ang unang State of the Nation Address ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte, kaming mga migrante dito sa Pransya ay nananatiling nakaantabay sa ganap na pagbabagong ipinangako ng bagong administrasyon.
    Malayo man sa bansa, kasama kami ng sambayanang Pilipino na nakatutok upang makinig sa ulat ng Pangulo sa kasalukuyang kalagayan ng bansa. At katulad ng iba pang sektor ng lipunan, umaasa kami na ang mga migrante ay mabibigyang pansin din sa SONA at maging tapat ang gubyernong Duterte sa mga ipinangako nito para sa amin at sa aming mga pamilya.
    Sa kasalukuyan, nakakapangamba ang balitang may babayarang ₱700 piso para sa bagong lunsad na iDOLE OFW card. Bagama’t tiniyak ni Sec. Bello ng Department of Labor and Employment na libre ito. Hindi maiaalis ang pangamba ng OFW hanggat hindi pa nailalabas ang implementing guidelines sa pagkuha ng OFW card. Kung susumahin, aabot sa ₱5 bilyon ang makukulekta ng gubyerno kapag pagbayarin ng OFW ID card ang mahigit 10 milyong Pilipino na nagtratrabaho sa ibang bansa. Dapat na ilaan ito para sa benepisyo ng migranteng Pilipino.
    Naghihintay pa rin ang bawat migrante ng tapat na serbisyo mula sa gobyerno, na pagsilbihan ang interes ng migrante at ng kanyang pamilya. Bawat migrante ay nagaasam pa ring makapiling ang kanilang pamilya, makauwi sa bansa na may disenteng trabaho at nakabubuhay na sahod. Sa nagaganap na kaguluhan at karahasan sa bansa, malawakang korupsyon, kawalan ng sariling lupang sasakahin, hindi mapigilang labor contractualization, kawalan ng trabaho, napakababang pasahod, napakataas na presyo ng batayang bilihin at patuloy na pagsira sa ating likas na kayamanan, malayo pa ang inaasam na makauwi ang migranteng Pilipino.
    Kaya naman nananawagan kami kay Pangulong Duterte na mahigpit na tutukan ang paglutas sa mga ugat ng kahirapan at kaguluhan sa bansa, upang sa gayon ay maramdaman ng bawat Pilipino ang inaasam na pagbabago. Nananawagan din kami sa kapwa migranteng Pilipino na patuloy nating itulak ang ating mga interes at kahingian sa gubyernong Duterte.

  • Pakikiisa ng mga Migrante sa Pransya sa Mindanawons at bawat Pilipino

    Pakikiisa ng mga Migrante sa Pransya sa Mindanawons at bawat Pilipino

    Nagkakaisang Pilipino sa Pransya

    Pahayag ng Pakikiisa

    May 27, 2017

    Kaming mga migrante dito sa Pransya ay nagpapaabot ng simpatiya at pakikiisa sa mamamayan ng Marawi at sa buong sambayanang Pilipino. Malayo man sa bansang Pilipinas, hindi maalis ang aming pangamba para sa seguridad ng ating mga kababayan na naaapektuhan ng nagaganap na palitan ng putukan sa paggitan ng Maute group at militar. Mahigpit kaming nakikiisa hindi lamang sa mga taga-Mindanao bagkus ay sa lahat ng Pilipino saan mang sulok ng Pilipinas at sa buong mundo dahil ngayon mas kinakailangan ang pagbubuklod-buklod at hindi ang pagkakahati-hati.

    Nais din naming ipahayag ang aming pangamba at umaapela sa mga kinauukulan na huwag umabuso sa kapangyarihan matapos magdeklara ng Martial Law sa buong kapuluan ng Mindanao. Masakit para sa aming mga migrante na malayo sa sariling bayan at mas lalo pang sumisidhi ang aming pangungulila at pangamba na makita na nadadamay ang mga ordinaryong mamamayan, lumikas sa kanilang tirahan at nanganganib ang kanilang kabuhayan at mismong mga buhay dahil naiipit sa nagaganap na sagupaan.

    Kinikilala namin ang mabilis na naging aksyon ng Pangulong Duterte na bumalik ng bansa para alamin ang sitwasyon kasabay nito ay ang pagapela na masusi pang pag-aralan ang bawat kaganapan. Matiyak sana na hindi magiging daan ang pagdedeklara ng Martial law para tumaas ang bilang ng mga pagabuso sa karapatang pantao.

    Para sa bawat Pilipino, nahaharap muli tayo sa panahon na kinakailangan ng masusing pagaaral sa bawat impormasyong lumalabas sa telebisyon at social media. Alamin ang tunay na ugat ng kaguluhan sa ating bansa. Balikan ang kasaysayan sa ugat ng pagkakaroon ng kaguluhan at terorismo at alamin ang malalim na kasagutan o solusyon.

    Panawagan naming mga migrante ang pagkakaroon ng pangmatagalan at makatarungang kapayapaan sa bansang Pilipinas. Lupa para sa mga magsasaka at pambansang industriyalisasyon sa bawat mamayang Pilipino.

    Marie Mercado
Secretary General, NPSP 
Email: [email protected] 
Mobile No. (+33) 771808910 

Revd Fr. Herbert F. Fadriquela Jr. 
Chairperson, Migrante Europe 
Chaplain to the Filipino Community Diocese of Leicester Church of England 
Email: [email protected] 
Mobile No. +447456042156 

Ann Brusola 
Secretary General, Migrante Europe 
Email: [email protected] 
Mobile No. (+39) 3278825544

  • March for Justice and Dignity, Paris

    March for Justice and Dignity, Paris

    Solidarity Statement
    March 18, 2017

    Greetings of Solidarity!

    The Nagkakaisang Filipino sa Pransya (United Filipino in France) and Migrante Europe express our warmest greetings of solidarity to the organisers and participants to the March 19 event as we join the growing voice of oppressed and exploited and its defenders and advocates calling for Justice and Dignity for all.

    Throughout the world today, the phenomenon of peoples’ movement is undeniably changing the character and shape of the world, both locally and abroad, and it is characterized both by voluntary and forced migration.

    In the case of many Filipinos, migration is a product of extreme poverty and joblessness brought about by the unjust social system in the home country. The deepening and worsening economic challenges in the Philippines have aggravated the growing number of land-based and sea-based Filipino workers. There are more than 4,000 migrant Filipinos that leave the country each day and they can be found in around 182 countries worldwide.

    Migrant Workers and Seafarers are giving substantial contribution to the economies of both the host and their home countries.

    We left our homes and families to take care of other homes and families. We left our noble profession in the home country to work abroad in a hope that we will enjoy the real fruits of our labor. We work as nanny, we prepare food and drinks, we maintain the cleanliness of houses and offices, we care for the elderly and vulnerable people, we groom other’s pets and make them fit, we tend the ships that transport goods and people to feed the world and sustain the world economy.

    But in spite of our social contribution, many of us experienced discrimination, abuse in work places. While some of us received the right wages and others don’t, we all pay the right taxes.

    We are here today to assert our rights and make clear our role in the social development of the French society and the world.

    Living as Migrants here in France has made us vulnerable to exploitation and abuse, which makes as even more alarmed and concerned on the harsh realities endangering our communities.

    We link our hands with against the war on the poor and migrants. More than ever, now is the time to close our ranks and unite to free ourselves from racism, police violence and humiliation. As a sign of support, we will be present on March 19, 2017.

Rise Up Against Racism!
Rise Up in the Name of Justice and Dignity!
Long Live International Solidarity!

    Nagkakaisang Pilipino sa Pransya (NPSP)
    Migrante Europe

    March for Justice and Dignity, 19 March 2017

    For references:

    Marie Mercado, Secretary General, NPSP
    Email: [email protected]
    Mobile No. (+33) 771808910

    Revd Fr. Herbert F. Fadriquela Jr.
    Chairperson, Migrante Europe

    Chaplain to the Filipino Community
    Diocese of Leicester
    Church of England
    Email: [email protected]
    Mobile No: +447456042156

    Ann Brusola
    Secretary General, Migrante Europe
    Email: [email protected]
    Mobile No. (+39)-3278825544

  • Picket lines in first and third world countries

    Picket lines in first and third world countries

    By Marie Mercado
    Manila Today

    Champs-Elysees in Paris is among the famous streets in the world for upscale shopping. It is located in the 8th arrondissement of Paris from Place de la Concorde to the Place Charles de Gaulle (where the Arc de Triomphe is located). It is home to French world-renowned luxury brands such as Louis Vitton, Chanel and Hermes.

    But what’s a more delightful sight on this very popular avenue? Two months have passed when a strike was held at one of the biggest shop here. Staying longer to observe the ongoing strike, a man was wearing a sign board containing their demands, it was of course written in French so a newcomer like me didn’t understand it immediately. A lady was giving away fliers so I got one and translate it using Google Translate online. I found out that they were fighting for just wages, better benefits and an end to the discrimination of employees in their corporation.

    It was quite interesting and surprising to have witnessed the scene as there were no policemen on sight to arrest or intimidate the protesting workers. I can’t help but feel shocked about how these French people enthusiastically fight for their rights and how they seem to have more freedom to do so. What’s even more shocking is they do gain a lot of sympathizers even from people they don’t personally know. It dawned to me that fighting for human rights is just but normal to French culture. They don’t tag strikers as ‘bayaran’, ‘reklamador,’ ‘tamad’ or ‘panggulo lang’ but have a common understanding of how no one should be cowered in the face of injustice, no one should keep silent. People here take time to listen and interact. They take these actions seriously. One can see the manifestation daily, even in the metro or in the roads, how French people do struggle to live up to their national slogan Liberté, égalité, fraternité (liberty, equality, brotherhood).

    A friend of my mother who works to help Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in Paris get work permits said that working conditions in France is probably the best in the whole of Europe. She herself has gone to work as an undocumented OFW in many European countries in the past, but decided to stay in Paris for it being most generous to the workers. Even if she is not a fan of these protests and strikes, she does recognize and attribute the “best working conditions in Europe” in France to the workers’ militant struggle.

    I recognized how far behind the working conditions it is in the Philippines, the reason I am here to work. Minimum wage is lower than half of the cost of living. Contractualization is prevalent, where workers were paid lower than minimum wage or required to work longer than nine hours or have no social benefits or retirement benefits. Many workers work in hazardous conditions, those that were only found out in the case of the fire in Kentex factory in Valenzuela that killed more than 70 and the fire in HTI Complex in an export processing zone in the Philippines where an independent fact-finding mission show that more than 1,300 workers are still missing after the fire.

    The appreciation for workers standing up for their rights is also so far behind. In the Philippines, when you visit an ongoing picket, policemen or security guards also gathered maybe 5 to 10 meters away or trying to break up the picket, like the terrible acts of opening fire at unarmed farmers at Hacienda Luisita in 2004 and Kidapawan in 2016. Workers are always also intimidated to not fight for their own interests—even if it meant their own subsistence and survival—by saying that the economy would fall and businesses would close if the workers were given even a bit of a wage raise. Then after days or weeks of strike, you will read news about harassment happening or strikers being assaulted and for some instances it can go to a much worse news like a leader or member of the union being killed, like the long-drawn out picket of Nestle workers in Laguna where two successive union presidents were killed. These events happened even Supreme Court ruled in favor of the demands of the peasants and workers.

    Curious as always, I checked the Facebook page of the strikers I have witnessed in Champs Elysees to get an update on how they are doing.  Based on their post last February 13, 2017, after 60 days of struggle of the Fnac employees in Champs Elysees they received good news since an agreement has been reached but according to them, there will still be a meeting with the management to address their other demands.

    Compare that to the more than 400 striking workers of the Manila Cordage Company and Manco Synthetics in Calamba City, Laguna who after four months of launching their strike was reported attacked by at least 60 armed guards in their picketline. Their only demands were regularization on the job and wage increase.

    Contractualization and very low wages remains to be a huge problem in our country. Last May elections, then presidentiable candidate Rodrigo Duterte vowed to put an end to contractualization. Now that he has assumed power and is in office for more than six months, we have yet to see him keep his promise.

  • Solidarity Message on Migrante – Europe’s Founding Congress

    Solidarity Message on Migrante – Europe’s Founding Congress

    MIGRANTE FRANCE
    Email: [email protected]
    08 December 2016

    Dear Migrante Europe;
    On this significant gathering, the Founding Assembly of Migrante Europe on 9-12 December 2016, we convey our warm greetings from the newly launched Migrante France!
    Migrante France is proud to be part of the biggest organization of overseas Filipinos all over the world and is highly motivated to serve our fellow countrymen under the banner of Migrante International – Europe.

    In view of the great need to strengthen the unity among OFWs to raise consciousness and awareness on the plight of migrant workers, We, Migrante France, will always share and commit ourselves to be of support and be in solidarity. We engage ourselves to struggle for the rights for jobs, fair wages and due recognition of OFWs worldwide.

    We are fully aware that it is a huge task and responsibility, however, Migrante France firmly believes that if there is unity and collective action among overseas Filipinos worldwide, genuine change can be achieved.

    Just like any other chapters, Migrante France will strive and excercise it’s full capacity to be more educated and involved in the current events and political issues hounding our country today. We look forward to more meaningful successes with you.

    CONGRATULATIONS on our founding Assembly!
    LONG LIVE MIGRANTE – EUROPE!

    MARVIN ALICTO
    Acting Secretary General
    MIGRANTE FRANCE