Philippines

Police/military kill sugar industry strikers
After 11 days on strike thousands of workers in dispute with former president Corazon Aquino’s family, the owners of the 15,000 acre sugar plantation and factory, Hacienda Luisata Incorporated (HLI) in Tarlac, Luzon, were attacked on 16 November when 1,000 police, with 230 army/air force troops, and security staff wielding tear gas, water cannon on four fire trucks, accompanied by a bulldozer and two V-150 armoured personnel carriers, attacked the protest that had stopped production at the mill.

After a 40 minute battle with strikers throwing Molotov cocktails and stones, security forces withdrew and shot into the crowd. At least seven people were killed and at least 53 were injured by bullets.

The strikers were mainly members of two unions, the United Luisita Workers’ Union (ULWU), representing 5,000 estate workers, and the Central Azucarera De Tarlac Labor Union (CATLU), representing 700 factory workers.

CATLU called a strike when no agreement was reached on the workers’ demand for a 100 peso (US$1.79) increase in the daily wage and a bonus. The ULWU demands that 327 plantation workers who were sacked in October 2003 be reinstated; those dismissed included ULWU president, vice president, and eight other union officials The two unions were joined by other labour groups and activists who helped block the gates to the refinery.

The incident was followed by demands for the resignation of Labour Secretary, Patricia Santo Tomas, after she issued orders to disperse the strikers. Instead of condemning the deaths President Arroyo appealed for an “amicable settlement” to the dispute. At the same time, she ordered more police and army to be deployed in the area “to restore order”.

Implicating the military further in the incident, Marcelino Beltran, a farmers’ union leader, died in a shower of bullets outside his home in Sta. Ignacia on 8 December. Mr Beltran was due to testify on 13/14 December as an eye witness to the incident at the government’s congressional enquiry into the killings. Before he died he told his son Mark that his assailant was dressed in military uniform.

World Socialist Web Site, 13, 20 November 2004; Independent, 18 November 2004