Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) declared May 18 as the National Day of Mourning for the workers of Kentex killed in the deadly May 13 fire and “suffering for 20 years under unjust labor conditions.” Unions and federations under KMU held rallies nationwide and uploaded in social media fansigns seeking justice for Kentex workers.
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Unions from different parts of the country call for justice for Kentex workers.
Promotion of Church People’s Response(PCPR) and the Center for Trade Union and Human Rights held mass in front of the factory on May 18, in solidarity with the National Day of Mourning for Kentex workers led by Kilusang Mayo Uno.
“Today we pray for their souls, we pray for justice, we pray for the survivors of Kentex factory,” said Fr. Edgar Montero.
Families of around 20 victims of the fire attended the mass led by PCPR. After the mass celebration, families and church workers lit candles and posted photos of the victims in front of the gate.
In Monumento, members of Gabriela and Gabriela Women’s Party Metro Manila lit candles for the victims of Kentex fire. The groups also launched a hotline called ‘Ligtas-Paggawa’ where workers can report violations of Occupational Hazard Standards in their workplaces. The Ligtas-Paggawa Hotline numbers are 353-5077, 353-5760 and mobile phone numbers: 09084976980 and 09065333734. The landline numbers will be open from 9 am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
Netizens uploaded their own fansigns that bear calls for “Justice for Kentex workers” among others.
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All in flux
Five days since the deadly fire, 69 charred bodies retrieved from the factory remain unidentified. The local government unit (LGU) of Valenzuela City facilitated the retrieval of bodies, viewing of remains, temporary burial and DNA testing; but, aside from these, the families have yet to receive further assistance from the LGU.
The company released P13,000 financial assistance on May 17. But families complained that this is not enough compensation for the loss of the lives of their loved ones.
Despite promises of speedy investigation and DNA matching from SOCO and local government agencies, there is still no clear date as to when the results will be released. Some families were told that the results will be out two weeks from May 14 when their samples were collected, while they saw from television news that relevant authorities have said the results will come out in a month or two.
Families of victims also demand City Engineer and SOCO to resume search in the site for possible bodies left. Families of workers, many of whom are residents living near Kentex, claimed there were around 200 employees who went to work inside the factory on the day of the fire.
