Leaders from the progressive and militant political party, Partido Lakas ng Masa (Party of the Laboring Masses) offered flowers and lighted candles at the site where 10 construction workers of the Eton Properties died from a work related accident.
Last January 27, ten construction workers died after the gondola they were riding fell from the 32nd floor to the 7th floor of Eton Towers. Initial result of the investigation revealed that the workers lack the necessary safety equipment, a clear violation of the Safety and Health Standards. The investigation also revealed that the company does not provide minimum wage, Social Security System benefits, and other basic labor standards.
The offering of flowers and lighting of candles is a show of solidarity with the bereaved families as they seek for justice. It is also a call for the Government to look into the health and safety conditions of all workers especially those in hazardous environment.
“The government,” according to Sonny Melencio, PLM National Chairperson, “should treat the case as a national tragedy and not just an isolated case involving only one construction company. “The Department of Labor and Employment should look into the company’s violation of labor standards and ensure that the workers will receive just compensation, including death and funeral benefits and financial support to the bereaved families,” he added.
“To ensure that this kind of tragedy will not happen again and the death of the ten workers will not be in vain, the government and its department of labor should penalize firms violating labor safety and labor standards, set up a life and accident insurance system for all construction workers that the company will have to pay on its own, and toughen its system of inspection on construction worksites,” Melencio said.
PLM also reiterated their call for the government to stop the rampant contractualization which gives the capitalists an excuse to pay lower wages and to avoid employment benefits for workers, including accident and death compensation. “To give justice to the workers, P-Noy should put a stop to contractualization. The small amount of financial support their families may have received today still does not give justice to the plight of the workers who build great edifices that bring enormous profits to the capitalists and misery and death for the workers.”-30- Julian Zacharias, PLM
