Author: PC1

Program Components

Education and Training
We promote and provide education courses for workers empowerment. These courses shall cover workers issues, workers rights, organizing skills, leadership and team building course
We provide education courses for church people that provide an opportunity for church people and workers to conduct a living dialogue, establish solidarity with each other and put into practice the social teachings of the Church
Campaign and Advocacy
support specific issues and concerns of the workers through fora, statements; lobbying and campaigning for bills and legislations that protect and promote workers’ rights.
Welfare and Support Services
We provide occupational health and safety training which is needed by the workers; also regular free medical, dental and health missions to workers’ communities.
We will build a network of lawyers, law students that will offer free legal assistance to workers which is most needed.
Networking among Church people
We reach out and coordinate with existing workers programs and labor desks in the dioceses and vicariates. CWS can work with these labor desks in joint education, campaign and advocacy activities
Maximization of the immersion and integration program of churchpeople among the workers like “Christmas with Workers”

CONVENORS
Most Rev. Jose S. Palma, D.D.
Archbishop of Cebu
Most Rev. Broderick S. Pabillo, D.D.
Auxiliary Bishop of Manila
Most Rev. Gerardo A. Alminaza, D.D.
Bishop of San Carlos / Chairperson of CWS
The Most Rev. Ephraim S. Fajutagana
Obispo Maximo of Iglesia Filipina Independiente
Fr. Quirico Pedregosa Jr., OP
Rector of UST Central Seminary
Mo. Mary John Mananzan, OSB
Ms. Minnie Anne M. Calub
National Council of Churches in the Philippines
Cavite Workers’ Assistance Center
Msgr. Rommel Kintanar, HP
Visayas Clergy Discernment Group
Msgr. Rey Manuel Monsanto, JCD, HP
Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro
Ms. Ellen Alejandro
Samahan ng Mga Manggagawa at Kristiyanong Pamayanan
Ms. Alet Mariposque
NXP Semi-Conductor Workers Union
Mr. Casmero Mahilum
Visayan Electric Company Employees Union
Mr. Eleazar Abaja,
Pinagbuklod na Lakas ng Manggagawa sa Plantasyon ng Agusan Plantation, Inc.
Ms. Leonida Tundagui
Cordillera Labor Center
Mr. Dexter Datu
International Wiring Systems Workers’ Union
Ms. Venus Culili
Ecumenical Institute for Labor Education and Research
Ms. Daisy Arago
Center for Trade Union and Human Rights
Mr. Garry Martinez
Migrante International
Mr. Steve Ranjo
Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide

Church People-Workers SOLIDARITY
Room 106, CICM Guest House Building
No. 60, 14th Street, New Manila, Quezon City Telefax no. (02) 584.3190
Mobile: 0932.515.4066 ; 0946.468.9826
Email Address: churchfortheworkers@gmail.com

Human Dignity * Common Good
“Church People and Workers
in Solidarity, Reclaim the Dignity of
Human Work!”

Who are we

The Situation

Our Response

The Church People – Workers Solidarity (CWS) is a non-profit organization. It is an ecumenical body composed of bishops, clergy, the religious men and women, lay leaders and workers that shall spearhead in harnessing the church people’s initiatives towards solidarity with the workers. It shall further engage in activities that truly reflect the oneness of the church with the workers’ life and aspirations.
The CWS aims to strengthen and sustain their linkages; and to make a commitment for:
a genuine and continuing dialogue between church people and workers
solidarity with Filipino workers in addressing various issues and concerns.
3. cooperation among workers and church people in order to come up with common responses that will actively support the rights of Filipino workers, especially the right to organize
4. church people to be actively engaged in the efforts of workers to craft a pro-labor code and to assert laws and policies that would protect and guarantee labor rights, especially those that deal with just wages, decent working conditions, security of tenure, the right to a gainful employment, and other labor rights.
The Church People — Workers Solidarity is thus an important vehicle to regain and strengthen the unity between church people and workers for the attainment of the common good, where there is justice, peace, freedom and fullness of life. #

The present Aquino administration continues to promote the same anti-labor policies – “come to the Philippines where labor is cheap, tame, unorganized.”
Our toiling brothers and sisters experience the most degrading and dehumanizing situation as prices of basic commodities continue to rise, too high for their low wages.
Globalization has widened the gap between the rich and the poor, and intensified the exploitation by big nations of smaller nations worldwide. Globalization exponentially increases the economic vulnerability of workers due to unemployment, unstable and low paying jobs; and a higher cost of living that deprives them of their basic rights to shelter, food and education for their children.
Unemployment has ballooned to 7.4% (2.9 M) of the 39M total labor force, as of January 2011. Thus, many Filipinos are forced to seek jobs abroad, and endure dehumanizing conditions; a daily average of about 4,500 Overseas Filipino Workers leave the country; while a daily average of 6-10 OFWs who became victims abroad return home dead.
Every attempt of the workers to organize their ranks and assert their collective rights is met with harassment and threats, in order to dissipate the solidarity of workers for collective action. Some workers even paid dearly with their lives as they continue to organize themselves. #

There is a very urgent need to respond to the situation of the workers. They are not only made poor; their basic labor rights are also violated. These human rights are embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and promoted by the Church’s Social Teachings. It is imperative for church people to raise their prophetic voice and be “defenders of unrecognized and violated rights, especially those of the poor, the least, the weak” (Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, [CSDC], 81).
Historically, in whatever Christian faith tradition, church people have always been an integral part in the struggle of the laboring people for a more just society. Journeying with the workers is a concrete expression of our Christian faith. Throughout Philippine history, from the Cavite Mutiny of 1872, to the La Tondeña strike in 1975, the Hacienda Luisita strike in 2004, workers were able to assert their rights through their unified associations and concerted actions; with the support of different sectors, especially church people. In these struggles, some workers and church people even paid dearly with their lives.
Our solidarity with our marginalized brothers and sisters, the workers, is a Gospel imperative. The supreme commandment to love God and our neighbor binds us to “the commitment to justice and solidarity, to the building up of a social, economic and political life that corresponds to God’s plan” (CSDC, 40). The Church needs to journey with the weak and harassed labor, and heed the teachings of Pope Leo XIII in his encyclical Rerum Novarum (On the Condition of Labor). He calls on us to support the workers' rights to organize themselves into associations, to seek just wages and better working conditions.
On September 14, 2011, was the 30th anniversary of Blessed John Paul II’s Laborem Exercens. A most fitting way of commemorating it and as our response to the urgent situation of our workers, a Church People and Workers Conference was held on September 12 to 15, 2011 in Cebu City. This important event lead to the establishment of the Church People Workers Solidarity. #