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‘Overseas Filipino workers joining ‘occupy’ movement abroad inevitable’

On October 19, 2011

Thus, said today by a Filipino migrants’ rights group in the Middle East as the ‘occupy’ movement around the world gains support from various groups and sectors denouncing ‘corporate greed’ by big businesses and establishments who got control most of a nation’s wealth.

“To say that our OFWs, who are scattered around the world numbering to around 8-M to 10-M, are not affected of so called ‘corporate greed’ thus there’s no reason for them joining the ‘occupy’ movement is an understatement,” said Migrante-Middle East (M-ME) regional coordinator John Leonard Monterona.

Monterona said OFWs, just like the workers of the host countries, are robbed of the ‘real fruits of their labor’ by big businesses and establishments owned and controlled by the few.

“The Filipino workers abroad just like their counterpart in the host countries have been exploited and alienated of the fruits of their own labor. They were paid low wages, lack of protection and are victim of contractualization, and other forms of labor rights violations and malpractices,” Monterona added.

Monterona added under the capitalist economic system in the pretext of neo-liberal globalization policies such as liberalization, deregulation, privatization and denationalization, the interest of businesses and profit is given priority over the welfare and rights of the working people/class.

The governments of the First World countries headed by the so called G-8 often resorted to selling of puppet government corporations and agencies to local and foreign businesses, removal of government control and pricing of major commodities such as oil, electricity, rice and govt. cut spending on social services.

“Complete opening up of the country and the economy for investment, control, intervention and ownership of foreign capital and multinational/transnational corporations is the ploy to continue the cycle of exploitation in the name of profit,” Monterona averred.

Monterona said since the Aquino govt. also adheres to US govt. neo-liberal globalization policies, the Filipino workers wage, service, employment protection and rights are under attack.

“The Filipino workers, local and overseas, only option left is to link arms with the ‘occupy’ movement abroad by joining the protest actions/demonstrations peacefully,” Monterona added.

“The birth of an ‘occupy’ movement in major cities of Third World countries including the Philippines, given the dire socio-economic condition of the workers who are exploited and oppressed, is almost expected,” Monterona ended. # # #

 

Written by:

John Leonard Monterona

Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator