Cardinal Rosales meets labor leaders

MANILA, May 8, 2009—The Church of Manila has responded to the need for the protection of ordinary workers amid the economic downturn and growing fears of job losses.

Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales yesterday met with union leaders and vowed to advocate for worker’s welfare with organized labor.

Rosales is all out for the establishment of unemployment insurance which he proposed to call “Pondo ng Pinoy para sa mga Manggagawa.”

He said the fund to be generated from the program “could be used to provide direct services to workers like providing free legal assistance.”

Rosales is the brainchild of the successful Pondo ng Pinoy which the Catholic has used to fund feeding programs for poor families, among others.

But the church leader expressed apprehension over how the program will be implemented.

“I’m wary that the social security contributions of workers who avail of the insurance scheme will be wiped out,” he said.

The cardinal then asked the workers to present their proposal to him and other Catholic bishops for unemployment insurance.

Rosales said he will seek the attention of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) to include in their next meeting an audience with the labor groups.

“Labor is very happy with the support the cardinal is giving to workers,” said Julius Cainglet, Media Officer of the Federation of Free Workers (FFW).

“The invitation to the CBCP meeting is a clear indication of the commitment of the Cardinal to prioritize workers, especially since the global financial crisis is already taking its toll on labor,” Cainglet added.

The FFW has historical ties with the church, having been established by a Jesuit priest almost 59 years ago.

The cardinal reached out to the workers through the Archdiocesan Ministry for Labor Concerns (AMLC) headed by Fr. Erik Adoviso.

This was the second time that Manila archbishop met with labor leaders. Last month, he also met with a handful of union leaders and asked them to “concretize” their demands so he could generate support for the proposals easily.

Workers are also asking for a moratorium on demolitions, evictions and foreclosures of unpaid housing loans. They also want to put a stop on the increase of tuition and other fees.

Union leaders also sought the help of the church in making sure that companies do not make the crisis an excuse to violate core labor standards on job security, wages and working conditions.

Other groups joining the Church-Labor Conference are the Urban Missionaries, Partido ng Manggagawa, Alliance of Progressive Labor, Bukluran ng Mangagawang Pilipino, Labor’s Advocacy for Reform Movement (LABOREM), Zone One Tondo Organization (ZOTO), Kanlungan Center Foundation and the Archdiocesan Ministry for Labor Concerns. (Roy Lagarde)