On July 11, 2005, the office of the legal counsel of TMPCWA received the decision from the DOLE- Department of Labor and Employment granting the petition for certification election filed by the Toyota management sponsored union (Toyota Motor Philippines Corporation Labor Organization). The news was also spreading very quickly inside the Toyota factory.
Before the decision of the Med-Arbiter was came out, there is an information from our key member inside that Dr. David Go, the Executive Vice President of Toyota Motor Philippines Corporation directing its LMC (Labor-Management Council) to gather the name list of all the members of TMPCWA on 8th of July 2005 and it also directing its LMC to prepare for the conduct of the election.
Behind the decision of the Department of Labor is part of a ready made design between the conspiracies and the connivance of TOYOTA-DOLE-LMC-TMPCLO to cover up the truth because the Toyota management was failed to destroy the genuine union of TMPCWA that advances genuine trade unionism in Toyota and continuously getting strong support from the rank and file workers.
Toyota management was seriously worried to the continuous support of the international solidarity of the workers that getting bigger and stronger. It was also afraid to the protest action of the international supporters of TMPCWA condemning the Philippine Toyota of not respecting the final ruling of the Supreme Court of the Philippines that lifted the Injunction to start the negotiations with the union TMPCWA.
Toyota management was afraid if the ILO-International Labor Organization will enforce its recommendation to reinstate some 167 of the 233 illegally dismissed members of TMPCWA, withdraw the fabricated criminal charges against the 18 officer and members of the union, to recognize the union and to start the negotiation with the union.
The Toyota management decided to speed up the decision at the same time during the event of the great political crisis happening in the county. It assumed that if the Philippine President will be oust to her post and the leadership under the new governance will weaken position of Toyota against the TMPCWA.
Although the TMPCWA will file an appeal, the union reading it that the Department of Labor and Employment will still push the conduct of Certification Election as mention earlier that it was a ready-made design of Toyota management.
If the Certification Election will be conducted and if the management sponsored union will win this election, all the victories and the hardships of TMPCWA for the past four years will become useless.
TMPCWA is studying every possible means to be victorious in this design of the capitalist Toyota.
Possibilities:
In the decision of the DOLE, there are three options to choose by the workers if the certification election will continue.
1. Toyota Motor Philippines Corporation Labor Organization (TMPCLO)
2. Toyota Motor Philippines Corporation Workers Association (TMPCWA)
3. No Union
We are looking the possibility to join in the certification election. We wanted to prove to all the workers that if the TMPCWA will again win the Certification Election, the possibility is the Capitalist could still not accept and recognize the TMPCWA because the company does not want genuine trade unionism in the factory. It will be easier for them to arouse, organize and to mobilize if this will happened.
Under this situation, while the conniving forces join together and become busy gathering more signatures to campaign to vote for their yellow union. The company will push the issuance of the warrant of arrest to all the members of the union because the bail that we post last year was already lapsed. This tactic of the management we are looking now is possible to divide our attention in consolidating the members of our union and other workers inside.
Immediate possible action:
Send letter of protest to Philippine Toyota condemning the decision of the Department of Labor and Employment and instruct to “hands off” the decision, instead to respect the decision of the highest court of the Philippines to start negotiation with the TMPCWA and respect the ILO recommendation.
Send a letter of Protest to the Labor Department condemning not to entertain or to hold the proceedings of the certification of election.
You can also send your statement or flyers for the Philippine Toyota workers under the name of your organization that you believed and support the long battle of genuine struggle of TMPCWA in advancing genuine interest of the workers. You can send it to us and we are the one to reproduce copies and distribute inside the factory. (We need some fund for it)
Distribute leaflets as many as we can at least 2 to 3 times a week to expose and oppose the dirty scheme of the capitalist and its connivance yellow leaders under its sponsored union starting next week.
That’s why we appeal to all the friends and the supporters of TMPCWA to extend your support of all means to overcome this situation.