By Richa Noriega
The Philippines was ranked among the ten worst countries for workers, according to the International Trade Union Conference (ITUC) Global Index 2019.
Thousand hopeful job seekers flock the San Andres Gymnasium for the 2019 Kalayaan Job fair set up by the Department of Labor and Employment coincide with the observance of the 121st Independence Day celebration Thursday, June 13, 2019. (ALI VICOY / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
The Philippines was included in the list of ten worst countries for working people along with Algeria, Bangladesh, Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Zimbabwe.
The ITUC ranked 142 countries on the degree of respect for workers' rights from 1 to 5, with 5 as the lowest rating.
According to the report, the Philippines received a low rating of 5, which means there is no guarantee of rights for workers.
"Workers and trade unionists in the Philippines faced violent attacks and intimidation. Protests were brutally repressed by police forces in an attempt by government forces to suppress political dissent," the index noted.
"With martial law in Mindanao extended for the third time until the end of 2019, the threat of an escalation of violence and abuses grow," it added.
The index also stated the striking death of nine sugar cane workers and members of the National Federation of Sugar Workers (NAMASUFA) who were shot dead by an unknown group of men.
"Over the past year, authorities in the Philippines have repeatedly made public statements accusing NAMASUFA of being "fronts" of illegal armed groups," it stated.
The Philippines received the same rating in the 2018 report, where it was also ranked among the worst countries in terms of respect for workers' rights.