Justice for the 72 workers killed at the Kentex fire

Justice for the 72 workers killed at the Kentex fire

by Josua Mata

Workers in the Philippines have a myriad of problems and struggles to overcome: low or unstable wages, meagre or unreliable benefits, abusive or insensitive employers or management, no job security or contracts, anti-worker and anti-union laws and policies, union-busting, unjust terms and conditions of employment, which may include inhumane working environment or a workplace that blatantly violates the mandated occupational safety and health standards (OSHS).

Rubber slippers are placed on the road to form the word “Justice” as activists hold slogans in Manila, Philippines on Thursday, May 14, 2015 while they mourn for victims of a fire that gutted the Kentex rubber slipper factory, killing 72 workers.(AP/Aaron Favila)

Which brings us to yet another horrible and senseless industrial tragedy on 13 May, that could have been prevented if the OSHS and other related measures were strictly implemented, regularly reviewed and constantly drilled.

The death toll in the seven-hour fire that engulfed the footwear factory of Kentex Manufacturing Inc., in Valenzuela, a northern suburb of Manila, has reached 72.

Central to the arson investigation should be the widely perceived trigger of the blaze: Why did the company recklessly and stupidly allow a welding job on the front door, which generates sparks, near a place where combustible chemicals were stored and which could easily ignite?

Likewise, were the two front entrance and back doors, as well as the supposed fire exits, sufficient enough and appropriately located?

And considering the number of workers trapped on the factory’s second floor, was there any possible violation of the building’s required occupancy limit?

One worker, employed at the factory for five years, admitted that he had “never been involved in a fire drill, ever.” Fire safety regulations, part of the broader OSHS, are in fact largely ignored by many companies in the country.

“Abominable culture of indifference”

The national labour centre Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (SENTRO) extends its deepest sympathy and condolences, as well as our firm solidarity, to the families and loved ones of all the workers who perished and were injured in the Kentex fire.

The lives and the scathing injuries of the Kentex workers are the heavy price for the complete breakdown of the government’s labour laws enforcement and for the employers’ patent disregard of the mandatory laws on wages, social protection benefits and basic workplace safety guidelines.

It depicts the abominable culture of indifference among many public servants ˗ including President Aquino himself who has yet to pay his respects to all those who perished ˗ and profit-oriented employers to enforce existing guidelines that uphold workers’ basic rights and well-being.

SENTRO and its allies in the trade union movement, especially the NAGKAISA labour coalition, strongly call on the national and local governments to fully enforce the OSHS and other related laws and regulations, and to resolutely punish all violators, including those in the absolutely revolting incident of Kentex.

We also call on Rosalinda Baldoz, Secretary of the Department of Labour and Employment (DOLE), to establish a tripartite “Task Force Valenzuela” (TFV), which will undertake unannounced inspections of factories and plants in the city of Valenzuela in order to crack down on sweatshops.

In the light of the tragedy that befell our fellow workers in Kentex, we believe that it now becomes imperative to verify employers’ compliance with all existing labour laws and safety standards, fire and building structure standards and to determine compliance with all other city requirements for the issuance of business permits and operational licenses.

Justice must not just be for the Kentex victims and their families but also for the countless workers nationwide who work under the same pakyawan system (piecework basis) or through unregistered and unregulated labour manning agencies.

These workers are deployed without any statutory benefits, least of all minimum wages, into firetraps where their lives are sacrificed on the altar of profits.

We strongly believe that the immoral and illegal activities of the Kentex owners are actually widespread in Valenzuela, and the inspections should begin in the factory neighbourhood where the fire occurred and with those firms also serviced by unregistered manning agencies.

The inspections should also target those firms that undertook voluntary self-assessments of their labour standards. It is never the best way to enforce safety by relying on the mere “say-so” of very self-interested employers and factory owners.

This proposed crackdown in Valenzuela will have national resonance and will hopefully, by making an example of those who will be caught, ensure that labour standards compliance will be more honoured.

We urge the government to seize the historical opportunity to render justice, not just for the Kentex workers, but to finally break the widespread culture and practice of corporate irresponsibility that made the loss of these workers’ lives not just immoral but evil and criminal.

http://www.equaltimes.org/justice-for-the-72-workers-killed?lang=en#.VWBwJ1KD2iE

Filipinos in the US demand justice for Kentex factory workers, mourn another tragedy under Aquino

Posted by on Thursday, May 21, 2015 · Leave a Comment

For Immediate Release
May 21, 2015

Kentex factory before the fire.
Kentex factory before the fire.

Last week the Philippines suffered another major tragedy. On May 13th, at least 72 Filipino workers (as of May 18th) died in the worst factory fire in the nation’s history. The fire, which lasted 7 hours, took place at the Kentex slipper factory in Valenzuela, Metro Manila.

The National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON), along with its more than 30 member organizations throughout the United States, mourns with the families and communities of the Kentex factory workers who died in the fire.

Alongside our mourning, we are also appalled and saddened that 72 lives were lost due to negligence by the Kentex factory owners. In an independent fact-finding mission conducted shortly after the fire, it was discovered that the company violated many safety regulations: There were no fire exits from the building and no fire drills conducted. All windows had permanent steel bars. Highly flammable chemicals were stored unsafely and were not marked properly.

These safety regulation violations left the 72 workers inside the factory trapped with no way to get out. Once the fire started, the only two exits in the building were blocked by the fire. 69 of the workers went to the second floor to try to escape, but the steel bars prevented them from exiting. The inappropriate storage of flammable chemicals may have fueled the fire, if not serve as the source.

Equally disturbing is that the Kentex factory passed a Philippine Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) occupational health and safety inspection in September 2014. In addition, the Bureau of Fire Protection reportedly also gave the factory a fire safety inspection certification.

Kentex factory after the fire
Kentex factory after the fire

NAFCON, along with millions around the world, is calling for support for the Kentex factory workers. We are asking our community here in the U.S. to express its sympathy for the families of the workers as well as its outrage toward the factory owners for their negligence and the unsafe working conditions. We ask that we demand criminal prosecution of the factory owners in our blogs, social media posts, and addresses during public activities.

NAFCON also highlights the government’s role in this tragedy. Although we are disturbed, we are unfortunately not surprised that a factory that was clearly not safe for workers would pass two government safety inspections.

Under the Aquino administration, as with previous Philippine presidents, there has been blatant disregard for people’s welfare. Throughout Aquino’s term, we have consistently seen examples of his negligence–from his failed response to Typhoon Haiyan, to his cover-ups during the Pork Barrel Scandal and the Mamasapano massacre, to his absence of meaningful action during the imminent execution of Mary Jane Veloso.

In addition to NAFCON’s commitment to support the Kentex Factory workers, we are equally committed to holding President Aquino accountable for his failures. We realize that the tragedy in Valenzuela, Metro Manila is only a symptom of a much larger system of neglect for the rights and welfare of Filipinos in the Philippines and around the world. As with Haiyan, Pork Barrel, Mamasapano, and Mary Jane Veloso, in each instance it was the vibrant movement and action of our international united community that has uplifted the voices and hopes of those suffering under Aquino.

We ask all those who value a better future for the Philippines and our world to not only mourn together, but also call and work for justice together. In a simple way, we can show our support by liking the Justice for Kentex Factory Workers Facebook page or using the hashtag #JusticeforKentexWorkers.

We can also join the movement to hold President Aquino accountable by attending or supporting the International Peoples’ Tribunal (IPT) to be held in Washington D.C. July 16 – 18. This gathering will raise awareness about the grave human rights situation in the Philippines today and strengthen the movement to bring justice to the Filipino people.

For more information on NAFCON or the IPT, go to www.nafconusa.org, email info@nafconusa.org, or call (415) 333-6267.

http://nafconusa.org/2015/05/another-tragedy-under-aquino-u-s-filipinos-mourn-and-demand-justice-for-kentex-factory-workers/

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