STOP ILLEGAL DISMISSAL AND CONTRACTUALIZATION OF ABS CBN WORKERS! RESPECT THE RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATIION OF ABS CBN WORKERS!

We, from Defend Job Philippines, supports the ABS CBN IJM (Internal Job Market) Workers as they confront series of illegal dismissal and contractualization of more than 1400 IJM workers and continued harassment and violations of the right of IJM workers to organized their own union. Defend Job Philippines is a campaign and network against unjust lay-off, contractualization, labor flexibilization and different forms of violation of workers’ rights and labor standards in the midst of the global crisis.

We are disappointed that ABS CBN as a media institution known for shaping public opinion and yet, its owners, the Lopezes do not practice own Corporate Social Responsibility which states: "To survive, any business or corporation must be useful to the society it serves." - Oscar M. Lopez, Chairman of the Lopez Group; and, "Profit alone is not enough reason to go into business. But if we can serve people, then I think our growth and our success will follow. If we take care of our customers, then they will take care of us." - Eugenio Lopez, Jr.

Starting June 16- September 2010, a total of 130 employees of ABS CBN were dismissed from work after they refused to accept and sign the discriminatory regularization of contract agreement and also the long term and short term contractualization scheme of ABS CBN. These schemes include: signing of a waiver to withdraw all workers’ complaints/cases against the company; and signing as a new employee which would mean waiving their total years of rendered service for the company so as not to be able to claim any wages, benefits and other additional compensations from the company. Main target are employees having long years of service in the company; 5 years minimum and 20 years maximum.

Over the years, ABS CBN IJM Workers have long been asserting their right to become regular employees of the company. However, ABS CBN management continues to deny IJM workers as their employees despite clear and strong evidences that they are legitimate workers/employees of ABS CBN such as issuance of ABS CBN Company ID, receiving loyalty awards from the company, receiving company memorandum from ABS and their SSS, Phil Health and Pag-ibig are being paid for by ABS as employee.

On 2002, more than 200 ABS CBN IJM Workers filed for regularization at the National Labor Relations Commission of the Department of Labor and Employment. They also filed a Petition for Certification of Election (PCE) for union recognition at DOLE-NCR on November, 2009 but was dismissed by Med Arbiter Catherin Parado on April 2010. Through their collective action, on August 2010, the Bureau of Labor Relations of the DOLE ruled in favor of the claim of ABS CBN Workers Union that there is an employer-employee relationship and that the process for union recognition should commence immediately.

ABS CBN IJM or internal job market workers are comprised of pre production, production and post production workers. They are the men and women who are indispensable for the operations of various programs produced and being aired by the company: camera men, lights men, video engineers, sound engineers, video tape recorders, writers, designers, production assistants, editors, technical directors and graphic artists. They are responsible behind strategic operations of ABS CBN such news and current affairs, drama, reality shows, game shows and live entertainment.

We deem that the establishment of Internal Job Market under ABS CBN’s Human Resource

Division is one example of using a “kabo” system which is indeed exploitative and illegal. It is

shameful that a modern and high tech media institution like ABS CBN is using a classic

system like kabo in the name of extracting super profits. “Kabo System which traditionally used by

encomienderos during the Spanish colonialization to run business, ensure cheap and docile labor to the

detriment and inadvantage of workers. Under globalization, kabo is being develop by giant corporations

and capitalists in many names such as contractual, casual and agency hiring, outsourcing or generally

known as labor flexibilization policies.

ABS CBN has illegally dismissed and continue to violate rights of its workers. The company has easily ignored that the fruits of labor of every ABS CBN employee has contributed much to the country's first and largest integrated media and entertainment company. ABS CBN has 42 subsidiaries, 12 divisions and an asset base on more than PHP34 billion (US$707.09 million) as of March 2009. It is part of the Lopez Group of Companies with a total assets of P67 billion.

ABS CBN has boosted the profits of Multi National Corporations while it continues to deprive its workers’ job security. It has acquired 24 HD-quality portable studio cameras (the Sony HDC-1400R HD) on May 2009. A Sony HDC 1400 costs at least $53,000 which is at least P60.76 million pesos for the 24 cameras. It has plans to allocate P1 billion per year for Digital TV on 2010 while the families and children of its workers are hungry. Impeq Technologies- a giant Dutch company is ABS CBN’s consultant for this DIGITAL TV transition which is known as one of the largest outsourcing company for digital TV.

We denounce the continued harassment of ABS CBN to IJM workers who are fighting for their right to freedom of association as ABS CBN IJM Worker’s Union.

We firmly believe that ABS CBN’s policy against its workers is only an expression of our government’s imposition of globalization and labor flexibilization which only serve the interest of the few big capitalists such as the Lopezes and foreign companies. These unjust, inhumane and anti-worker policies have displaced millions of workers such as in Triumph International, Amkor Anam, Philippine Airlines, Intel Philippines and Philippine Port Area.

Thus, we call on all workers and employees of ABS CBN to stand firm, strengthen your ranks, defend jobs and fight against illegal dismissal, contractualization and all forms of attacks to worker’s rights and labor standards.

We appeal to all our fellow job defenders, workers unions, works council and international labor organizations, solidarity groups, workers’ rights advocates, students, televiewers, human rights defenders, non government organizations, fellow citizens and concerned people to support our calls:

1. Call to ABS CBN for the unconditional reinstatement of 92 ABS CBN IJM Workers who were illegally dismissed.
2. Call to ABS CBN to stop illegal dismissal of workers and its discriminatory regularization scheme. Stop contractualization and outsourcing. Regularize all ABS CBN/IJM Workers.
3. Call to ABS CBN to stop the harassment to all workers and respect the rights of its workers to organize union and thus, recognize the ABS CBN IJM Workers union.
4. Call to the new administration of President Aquino, Department of Labor and Employment and all government agencies concerned to act in favor of ABS CBN workers who are asserting their rights and are fighting for justice.

And finally, let us continue our struggle against globalization and for social justice that will truly give prosperity, peace and freedom for the workers and Filipino people. It is only in this path that our livelihood will be ensured, our rights and welfare will be safeguarded and our children’s and country’s future be guaranteed.

Write appeal/protest letters to:

Mr. Eugenio Lopez III
Chief Executive Officer, ABS-CBN
ELJ Communications Center, Lopez Drive 1103, Quezon City, Philippines. 
Telephone No: (632) 924-4101
Fax No: (632) 411-1168

Mr. Ramon R. Osorio
Corporate Communications and Public Relations, Head, Corporate Communications
Email: Bong_Osorio@abs-cbn.com

Rosan Cruz
Lopez Holding Corporation

Events, Publications, Advertising, Corporate Social Responsibility
E-mail: rcruz@benpres.com.ph

Mr. Benigno Simeon Aquino III 
President, Republic of the Philippines 
Malacanang Palace 
JP Laurel Street, San Miguel 
Manila 1005 PHILIPPINES 
Fax: +63 2 736 1010 
Tel: +63 2 735 6201

Hon. Rosalinda Baldoz

DOLE Secretary

Email: secrdb@dole.gov.ph

Hon. Jinggoy Estrada,

Head, Labor Committee

Email:jinggoy@senjinggoyestrada.com

Acting Chairperson Cecilia Rachel V. Quisumbing
Commission on Human Rights
Email: coco.chrp@gmail.com,

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