An International Labour Organization (ILO) fact-finding mission to the Philippines has called on that nation’s government to categorically denounce the killings of workers and unionists and the rampant violation of trade union rights.

Members of the ILO mission carried out interviews to clarify allegations of harassments, abductions, and extra-judicial killings of unionists and workers. This followed a complaint by the Kilusang Mayo Uno (May First Movement) to the ILO two years ago.

Almost 100 workers and union leaders have been summarily executed in the past four years.”  No one has ever been brought to justice charged with these killings. The victims included nine teachers, some of them employed in the higher education sector.

Expectedly, during the inquiry, the ILO mission said it had been “confronted with contradictory statements concerning violence against trade unionists and the sufficiency of the efforts made by the government to ensure that workers may exercise their trade union rights in a climate free from fear.”

TEU president Tom Ryan, who recently was appraised of the ILO report at Education International’s Asia Pacific conference, said that the situation in the Philippines is a travesty the whole Asia-Pacific region needs to face up to.

“New Zealand especially needs to speak out against these most fundamental and brutal abuses of human rights happening in our own corner of the world. Clearly the abductions and murders are being carried out by elements of the military, with the connivance of members of the Philippines political establishment.”

“Our government has been forthright about human rights abuses in places like Fiji and Burma. It needs now to confront a parallel situation in the Philippines.”