Josua Mata - How can labor movements help improve the environment?

This month we talked with Josua Mata, the Secretary General of SENTRO (Co-operative and Progressive Workers' Center) in the Manila, Philippines. He shared with us his on the ground experiences at the forefront of the labor movement in the Philippines. Globalization has had a massive impact on the labor market in the Philippines, partially due to the rise of temp work contracts replacing regular work contracts. In the 1980s, when Josua enterd the workforce, most workers had a “regular” job. Today, most workers are considered “non-regular” because they have only 3-6 month temporary contracts. This has weakened the labor movement significantly as non-regular employees are not able to participate effectively in the Union due to fear of having their contracts terminated. Contractualization has denied a huge portion of the working class from accessing their constitutional right to collective bargaining and going on strike. This has also had political implications as it has widened the gap between the rich and poor, which has opened the possibilities for right wing governments to rise. He gave us insight into the frustration and political psych of the working class in the country and the danger of being an activist in the socio-political context of the Philippines. We talked about how the labor movement has survived under such perilous conditions. Josua says the only way you can change the world is to change it together, even if that only starts with your friends.

Links:

The People’s Sovereignty Lab(aka The Siena Process)

Another interview Josua did for the People’s Sovereignty Network

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