Workers caution consumers on imports

Organized labor cautioned yesterday consumers’ groups from falling prey to schemes by importers that are pro-consumer on the surface but are actually aimed at disabling local manufacturing companies, which could result in massive layoffs of workers.

The Association of Democratic Labor Organization (ADLO) cited the case of the Consumers Union of the Philippines (CUP) and the Confederation of Homeowners Association for Reforms, Governance and Environment (CHARGE) which have actively supported the importers in trashing the government safety net programs to allow unrestricted entry of imports into the country.

Earlier, a group of cement importers supported by CUP and CHARGE obtained an injunction from the Valenzuela Regional Trial Court against the implementation of the Safeguard Measures Act (RA 8800), which provides tariff protection to local products against import dumping and surges.

"The workers and consumers actually have the same interests, since workers are also consumers," said Carlito Rallistan, president of ALDO. "But it would be against the interest of both the consumers and workers if, because of the false promises of unrestricted importation, our local industries would close shop," he added.

According to ADLO, tens of thousands of workers and farmers have already lost their jobs and sources of livelihood in the increasing number of local industries affected by import liberalization, including those in cement, steel, footwear, tile, battery and in agricultural industries such as sugar, corn, poultry and many others.

In the case of cement, Rallistan said the importers are invoking the interest of the consumers in dumping cement which they import at very cheap prices from Taiwan, Indonesia, Japan, and South Korea. But he said the cheaply imported cement are actually sold at the same prices, or only a few pesos lower, than the local cement prices.

He said importers and dealers are making a killing from imported cement, earning as much as P82 per bag while consumers get only about a peso in discount.