Arroyo to have 'last lunch' with labor groups Tuesday

For the last time as Malacañang's main tenant, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will meet with leaders of the biggest labor federations in the country over lunch on Tuesday. The Department of Labor and Employment said the lunch will be held at the Palace's Bonifacio Hall in observance of Labor Day. DOLE Secretary Marianito Roque, in an article on the DOLE website, said some 50 labor leaders led by Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) National President Democrito Mendoza have been invited to the Palace meeting. "At the luncheon program, the prayer will be led by Trade Union of the Philippines and Allied Services (TUPAS) Secretary General Vladimir Tupaz, followed by an opening statement by Atty. Alejandro Villaviza of TUCP after which the President will give her response," the DOLE said. Roque said the labor leaders "will jointly and solitarily express their gratitude and appreciation to the President for having supported the various labor agenda they have presented to the nine-year Arroyo administration." "The labor leaders are expected to extend to the President their gratitude for the enactment of the amended Migrant Workers Act, the Tax Exemption for Minimum Wage Earners, the Magna Carta of Women and other pertinent laws and regulations that have helped the Filipino workers cope with the challenges of a volatile and struggling economy," the DOLE said. It added that labor leaders are expected to acknowledge President Arroyo’s economic and fiscal reforms that have helped lessen the impact of the global financial crisis that hit hard most of giant economies. Roque said Mrs. Arroyo appreciated the growing maturity of both the labor and management sectors, which resulted in a historic industrial peace that was achieved in the last few years with the lowest strike rate of four recorded in 2009, the lowest in the history of labor relations in the country. There was also a steady decline in the number of strike/lockout notices being filed. Roque added the peace and stability in the labor front was largely attained through the active cooperation of labor and management, as they resorted to less costly, amicable and more expeditious means of settling their disputes. He added the labor groups cited the wage and non-wage benefits that the Arroyo administration has provided the workers, especially during the critical times of the global crisis and the natural calamities that hit the nation last year. He said the labor groups also cited the Social Security System (SSS) Condonation Program and other assistance given to the workers to help them cope with the crisis and calamities such as the rice subsidy, Botika ng Bayan, micro-entrepreneurship for the Informal Sector, sectoral representation in Government boards, Wages and Income Augmentation Program (WINAP) and creation of the Tripartite Case Monitoring Body (ILO cases/complaints) during the conduct of the ILO mission in the country last year. Also joining the lunch are senior officials of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and of the Office of the President. Other federations joining the luncheon meeting are the Federation of Free Workers (FFW), National Association of Trade Unions (NATU), Alliance of Filipino Workers (AFW), Associated Federation of Labor Unions (AFLU), Confederation of Filipino Workers (CFW), National Mines & Allied Workers Union (NAMAWU), National Union of Bank Employees (NUBE), Associated Marine and Officers Union of the Philippines (AMOSUP), International Seamen’s Mutual Labor Association (ISLA) and Alliance of Workers in the Informal Economy/Sector (ALWAIS). — LBG, GMANews.TV