The Alliance of Progressive Labor stands in unity with the rest of the labor movement in condemning and calling for the immediate delivery of justice over the killing of Diosdado Fortuna, president of the Nestle Workers' Union.
The murder of Fortuna brings to light once again the repressive conditions that workers everywhere have to contend with in our struggle for higher wages and better working conditions.
Thousands of labor cases await decisions at the National Labor Relations Center since time immemorial ranging from workers' grievances from unpaid salaries to illegal dismissals and union busting. Government not only pays lip service to the protection of workers' rights but it also destroys them with the continued implementation of contractualization and liberalization of industries.
Its mad pursuit of a myopic goal -- the creation of a million jobs -- has not been very honest, nor does it even start to solve the labor market problems in the country. What is more important than creating jobs is ensuring that workers get to keep them.
The case of Fortuna is a sad testament to the extreme ends to which vested interests will go to in order to protect their interests and keep the growing awareness of workers at bay.
It is government's responsibility to protect workers' jobs and the legitimate right of workers to seek redress for grievances. With Fortuna's death, it has failed miserably in this job. Government bears the responsibility of ensuring justice for Fortuna and other labor leaders who have been killed fighting for workers' rights.
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