MANILA, Philippines - Labor group Trade Union Congress of the Philippines-Nagkaisa (TUCP-Nagkaisa) has urged the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) professional basketball players to organize themselves into unions to protect themselves particularly from possible abuse of contract.
"We encourage them to form players’ union because they are professional, first class athletes and not commodities. Basketball players are just like any other ordinary blue collared worker who is vulnerable to abuse. But if they organized themselves into unions, they can get the best terms of the deal of their contracts than those who are not unionized,” TUCP-Nagkaisa spokesperson Alan Tanjusay said.
The other day, Mahindra basketball team coach Glen Capacio expressed his support to Mahindra shooting guard Alex Nuyles, whose newly-signed one-year contract was invalidated by his team management.
Capacio advocated for the revival of PBA players’ union to protect the interest of Nuyles and other PBA players who have similar predicament.
Tanjusay said they have a battery of seasoned union organizers who are very able to help players organized themselves to form players’ union.
Tanjusay, also a policy advocacy officer of the Associated Labor Unions (ALU), said formation of unions is being allowed by Philippine law and it is being encouraged by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and promoted by the International Labor Organization.
The ALU is the biggest labor federation in the country. It manages various collective bargaining agreements involving thousands of workers across 17 industries. The ALU is registered with the DOLE since 1954.