Thursday, October 25, 2007

Uncertainty 2

ANTO COMETA

Choices are those we make for circumstances that need to (or need not) be decided. Whether we choose to come to a decision or not, it will still have an effect on the current situation that the individual is in. But why is it quite hard to make a choice? I always know the answer, and that’s the reason I wrote this entry.

I never thought I would have another entry that would turn out to be similar to what I wrote before for my sister. I could still remember that night (or should I say morning) when she begged and had given me two sticks of cigarettes (which I asked) in exchange for a one-page paper for her class. I usually don’t write schmaltzy articles, I would rather read those that were written by others than to compose one.

As I finished writing this, I just realized that I smoked ten; five times more than I had when I wrote the first.


The Choice of Uncertainty

You sail again the waters of uncertainties. But this time, it’s more perilous and far more complicated. Coupled with anxieties that you cannot fully explain but you strongly feel.

Several times you have fallen, endured the torment, already cognizant of what should be done the next time you stumble upon the same situation and yet you still haven’t set the course of your life accordingly. The problem is you refuse to learn. How can you set the path when you’re confronted with denial? It’s like a splinter in one’s mind that drives an individual mad. Now, you are strained to make a choice before it turns into complete lunacy. The choice to be made would be the choice that would conclude everything.

But a choice is not an end but a means in achieving an end, an end which in itself uncertain. Why make a choice when you don’t know what to expect after making a choice? A more convoluted question would be, why make a choice when you are unsure what choice to make. There’s only one answer I have in mind, and that is - by not making a choice you have already decided the outcome. Making a choice is the most that an individual could do and the least that could be expected. Everything begins and ends with a choice.

Making a choice is the initial phase in removing the uncertainties that you have. What lies ahead is not something to be terrified of but something to look forward to and be prepared to deal with. I’ve said before that it doesn’t really matter how long the travel would be or the obstacles to be encountered throughout the voyage. What’s more important is that you’re still on the course and nearing towards the destination.

At this point, if I make a choice, would it put an end to the uncertainties that I have in mind? How could a choice make things fall in its proper place, its proper perspective, on the right track? The choices one makes are the choices that will set one’s path (whatever that is). Apparently, uncertainty is not the dilemma but making the choice itself.

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Romanticizing Dunlop’s View of an Industrial Relations System: Fortifying the Standards of Living (Part 1)

ANTO COMETA

Stability and contentment are two of the major concerns that an individual would want to have particularly for those consumed by society’s repression and inequalities. Elevating an individual’s condition in terms of his status in both socio-economic and personal is a daunting task since numerous factors both internal and external necessitates high consideration prior to executing the decisions (to be) made.

Costing the operational costs to run your life seems to be the most pragmatic approach or method to do yet it appears to lack essence as you (want to) move forward or as you unify institutional views with your personal needs. Perversions of current notions, beliefs and ideologies consummated into actions are at the most that you could perform to satisfy the yearning yet not totally disregarding the normative principles set by society.

A lot of people are under the impression that defiance of institutional standards could lead to progressive modification of the existing paradigm. However, the basis seems to fall short of facts as society has proven its influence, power and control despite the shifting trends. Does defiance modify the paradigm, or does one have to demolish in order to create a new one?

The concepts of stability and contentment are by-products derived from the common ideologies and beliefs shared by individuals involved in a certain system. These ideas are the key elements that integrate the system as functional unit of society. Changing the paradigm necessitates a major shift in the existing ideological equilibrium. Consequently, this will create a new set of rules within the entire system that will characterize and delineate the position(s), function(s) and relationship(s) of the actors within the system.

There are risks that should be calculated and highly considered prior to deciding as to what should be done to rectify or uplift one’s existence. Those risks are the things that are responsible for the stagnation or alteration of one’s being. Whatever the (preferred) outcome, it’s the individual’s choice to make.

Sunday, October 14, 2007

Republic Act. No. 9481: Restructuring of the Philippine Industrial Relations Landscape

ANTO COMETA

Strengthening the worker’s right to self-organization has been one of the major dilemmas that the Philippine Industrial Relations System is confronted with. The lapsing of the labor bill which is a consolidation of Senate Bill No. 2466 and House Bill No. 1351 into Republic Act. No. 9481 poses several implications that could change the structure of the Philippine Industrial Relations scene. Major apprehensions on both end of the business and labor sector has surfaced due to the enactment of the aforementioned labor law.

The labor movement is confronted with a lot of problems branching out from the effects of economic restructuring, market-driven policies, technological change, degree of government intervention among others. The perceived deterioration of the country’s labor movement is mainly due to the structural causes intensified by the unrelenting trends in the labor market which tend to limit the base of union organizing.[1] The new labor law which lapsed last 25th of May 2007 enacted as Republic Act. No. 9481 will further advance the labor movement’s membership as well as extend its representation in the legislation of national policies concerning worker’s welfare and rights.

Malacanang has allowed the bill to lapse into law due to the surefire circumstance that it could perturb the current labor relations as well as the industrial peace that the country is currently experiencing.[2] The evident reason was that endorsement of the labor bill could instigate none support from the business sector, and if vetoed, reprisal from the workers league. Together with the amendments that include requirements for registration for union legitimacy, cessation of union registration, chartering and establishment of regional chapters, intermingling of rank-and-file union and supervisors’ union operating within the same firm in the same federation or national union, representation issue in organized establishments and petitions in unorganized establishments, the new labor law could aid in addressing the challenges that the Philippine labor movement is facing.

With the lapsing into law of Republic Act. No. 9481, the employers bloc were somehow taken aback since there were provisions in the new labor law that regulates (or limits) their capacity to control the emergence and expansion of labor unions as well as the underlying implications that goes with it. Concerns such as how will the expanded rights of workers to self-organization impact on investors’ confidence and industrial peace and stability?, how should businesses respond to this new law?, what are the implications and how could this be mitigated?, what are the next steps towards implementing the new law?, and how will the implementing rules be formulated?,[3] reveal the augmentation of the labor sectors’ influence over labor and economic policies which deemed as a probable risk and to a certain extent burden to the capitalist paradigm. On the labor sectors’ end, although it may be perceived as advantageous in one way or another, reservations on increased inter union conflict has emerged. The amendments outlined could lead to increased discord on ideologies and approaches since membership and representation became more lenient. No doubt that the current conflict between unions has been one of the factors aside from those influenced or brought about by the external and internal features of the system has weakened the entire organization.

It is held that the new labor law may possibly impinge the rule enforcement on union finances, substandard collective bargaining acts, and illegal exaction of fees from employers, among others. Moreover, the provision that managerial and supervisory employees may join, assist or form separate collective bargaining units as well as legitimate labor organizations of their own could instigate an imbalance in the establishment since managers and supervisors are the frontline representatives of the management and are the significant to running it effectively. The new law permits the rank and file employees and supervisors unions operating within the same establishment to join the same federation or national union. By allowing the supervisors and rank-and-file unions to share common cause could affect business operations and the effectiveness of its management.[4] These are the most pressing concerns that need to be anticipated as it may cause instability not only to the firm they are connected to but also to the system itself.

Whatever the concerns and issues related to industrial relations which have always been at the forefront of the country’s political, social and financial economy whether blatantly ignored or addressed have greatly shaped the current country’s industrial relations landscape over time. Moreover, the apprehensions of parties involved could not prevent the system from adapting or transforming itself as they themselves were responsible for its stagnancy or modification.

The changing landscape in the Philippine Industrial Relations is inexorable as it needs to facilitate and address the concerns, issues and shifting structure of the relationships between the actors in the country’s industrial relations system. Moreover, with the current political and economic set up of the country, it is undeniable that the labor sector in the Philippines has been greatly affected by economic policies and restructuring brought about by trade liberalization and globalization. The view on structural adjustment for instance is by and large perceived by the third world countries (such as the Philippines) as an instrument of suppression and exploitation by the industrialized countries.[5] With the structural changes in the Philippine Industrial Relations with reference to the country’ political economy and labor market that has happened in the country over the past decades, the new labor law together with the outlined amendments fervently asserts the worker’s safeguard over the implications that may arise from these.

From a theoretical point of view, reconciliation of divergent views is very much feasible if we were to apply the framework of ideology of tripartism. The Dunlopian model of an industrial realations system which implies unity, interdependence, and an internal balance which is likely to be restored if the system is displaced [6], implies a hope of structural modification provided that the actors are agreeable and the dispute settlement mechanism and strategies are acceptable by the parties. The enactment of the new labor law could be deemed as a significant step in order to establish a new or modified paradigm towards the generation of a more flexible labor market, collective bargaining and policy construction that is affable for the actors or parties concerned in the industrial relations systems of the country.



[1] Bitonio Jr, B. Unions on the Brink: Issues, Challenges and Choices Facing the Labor Movement in the 21st Century,

[2] Bengco, R. “On Brion’s advice, Arroyo lets labor bill lapse into law”, http://www.malaya.com.ph, posted May 29, 2007

[3] Employers Confederation of the Philippines, Republic Act 9481: Boon or Bane for Employers, http://www.ecop.org.ph, June 06, 2007

[4] Sun Star, “Arroyo allows pro-union bill to lapse into law”, http://www.sunstar.com.ph, posted June 06, 2007

[5] Macaraya, B. and Ofreneo, R. Structural Adjustments and Industrial Relations: The Philippine Experience,

[6] Dunlop, J. 1958, An Industrial Relations System - Industrial Relations System, Harvard Business School, Boston

Saturday, October 13, 2007

Impact of Globalization on Trade Unions in the Philippines: Rationalizing Labor Exploitation through the New International Division of Labor

ANTO COMETA

In the Context of the Modern World System

Modernization had such extensive and varied effects on the both world economic markets and its societies. The core section of the paradigm of the modern world system and the division of labor incorporates high standard of technology which results in finished products distributed in both domestic and foreign markets. Due to the nature and how its market operates, most of its workers belong to the formal sector, thus providing an elevated standard of living in contrast to those in the exterior sections – semi peripheral and peripheral segments.

The geographic expansion of the capitalist world economy (particularly industrialized or developed countries) not only altered political systems but also changed the labor conditions wherever it has penetrated. The functioning of the world economy has brought mounting disparities between economies as well as with the abovementioned sections.[1] It has brought distorted growth and development in which social inequalities between the sections of the world economy have increased rather than imparting prosperity for all.

In the Context of Globalization

The new trend called globalization has now replaced the old paradigm of modernizing the world system. Globalization has outlined the economic process which was an outcome from the changes in technology, investment and production and distribution. It is in the framework of globalizing the economies of countries in order to utilize and maximize the resources and economic potential of a specific nation. Foreign investments and its leveraging of resources as well as relocation of its business operations across borders particularly to third world countries has greatly affected the Philippine industrial relations as well as the country’s economic structure.

The new paradigm of the international division of labor states that less developed (or underdeveloped) countries are made to specialize on labor-intensive, low-technology export commodities while those considered to be more developed focuses on capital intensive, high technology products of the multinational companies as well as transnational corporations.[2] In the Philippines, the most evident effects or trends with reference to globalization both on firm and industry levels are, trends toward labor flexibilization, trends toward the informalization of labor, trend toward an HRD strategy. These in turn have an effect on the workers as well as trade unions at it poses threat on job security which could increase the country’s unemployment and underemployment conditions, restriction on legislation matters, base reduction for union organizing and difficulty in collective bargaining.[3] Such effects create greater instability in the Philippine Industrial Relations System as it already is. The outcome illustrates the weakening power and influence of the labor sector which could result in the ineffectiveness of the country to deal with such crisis.

Globalization to a certain extent pushes workers in the formal sector to the other end. The future of unionism cannot be isolated from the future of the workers in general. The determination of that future will be a product of many procedures associated with an integrating world. These include economic restructuring, market-driven policies, technological change, the degree of government intervention in labor markets and industrial relations, flexibility in the way work is organized and growing diversity of work, and the increasing dichotomy in terms of employment and income opportunities between workers from both formal and informal sectors. [4]

Economic growth brought about by globalization is advantageous as it could facilitate in the development of the country. However it should also be taken into account the negative consequences that could be incurred by having such since effects of these could bounce back and have an effect on the state of the country’s economy. It is without a doubt that economic needs of a country could not be disregarded and consequently, compromises are inevitable. It is imperative to emphasize that is not just austerely optimizing the conditions of the market but to reconcile the interest of the workers with the welfare and economic needs of the society as whole.[5] Trade unions play a major role in the representation and formulation of certain socio-economic policies concerning not only those in the formal labor sector but also for those classified as informal. It must be taken in great consideration in order to adjust suitably to the changing trend in the world economy and landscape in the Philippine Industrial Relations System.

Globalization has taken its socio-economic toll in the exploitation of the labor sector, primarily those located in third world countries such as the Philippines. The old model of the international division of labor has been replaced by a more exploitative paradigm having direct effect on those that belongs in the working class and its trade unions. Addressing the economic needs by adapting to the changing conditions brought about by globalization is essential for the country’s survival. However, interests of workers in the formal labor sector should also be taken into consideration to fully capitalize on the changing trend in the economy.



[1] Wallerstein, I. 1974 The Modern World System: Capitalist Agriculture and the Origins of the European World Economy in the Sixteenth Century, New York: Academic Press

[2] Ofreneo, R. 2000, WTO and Globalization: Trade Union Issues and Challenges in the Asia Pacific, p.4

[3] Ofreneo, R. 2000, WTO and Globalization: Trade Union Issues and Challenges in the Asia Pacific, pp. 11-13

[4] Bitonio Jr, B. Unions on the Brink: Issues, Challenges and Choices Facing the Labor Movement in the 21st Century,

[5] Weiss, M. Globalization: Challenges and Opportunities for Philippine Industrial Relations in the Next Millennium, J.W. Goethe University, Frankfurt (Germany)