 |
| “We urge the government to take the right action and take more steps in addressing the issues raised by the resolution,” said Gerard Seno, national executive vice president of Associated Labor Unions (ALU).(Photo by=ManilaTimes) |
[Asia News Communication = Reporter Reakkana] One of Philippines’ largest labor federations on Saturday warned the government that around 200,000 Filipinos may lose their jobs if the EU withdrew the trading privileges granted to the country due to allegations of human rights violations by the Duterte administration.
Europe’s parliamentarians on Thursday voted overwhelmingly 626 to seven, with 52 abstentions, to adopt a resolution to withdraw the Philippines’ trade benefits under the Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) if the government didn’t abide by international conventions on human rights.“We urge the government to take the right action and take more steps in addressing the issues raised by the resolution,” said Gerard Seno, national executive vice president of Associated Labor Unions (ALU), a 66-year-old labor federation which counts in its ranks more than 200,000 unionized workers in the manufacturing, services and agriculture sectors and sea-based Filipinos.
Chua said the unemployment rate next year could range between 6%- 8%. The latest unemployment rate in July “improved” to 10 percent from 17.7 percent recorded in April, he said. Aside from trade sanctions, the European Parliament’s resolution also called on the EU members to support a proposal to set up an “independent, international investigation” of human rights violations in the Philippines.(InquirerPH)
