A LABOR group believes that the recent killings and abduction of labor leaders are “encouraged by the existing, prevailing culture of open violence.”“Our worst fears had happened with the abduction of Tago,” Alan Tanjusay, spokesperson of Associated Labor Unions (ALU), told the Inquirer on Tuesday. ADVERTISEMENT“We feel that we as activists and as partners of our democratic government is no longer safe. We feel that the safety threshold has been breached,” Tanjusay said. Labor groups earlier called on Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III to convene the tripartite industry peace council, composed of labor, government and employer representatives, to address the violent attacks on unions following the recent killings and abduction of labor leaders. Nagkaisa, a coalition of 47 labor federations and workers organizations, has also condemned the recent spate of murders of labor union and community organizers with seven incidents happening only this month.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer September 27, 2016 18:56 UTC