28/03/2013 (Business Mirror) - The Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR) is asking the government to look into the plight of palm-oil plantation workers in Agusan del Sur province after another worker was electrocuted last week.

The worker was identified as Cesar Muanag, a 42-year-old harvester at the Filipino-Malaysian firm Filipinas Palm Oil Plantation Inc. (FPPI).

According to the FPPI Workers’ Union (FPPWU), Muanag was electrocuted while harvesting palm fruit bunches in Barangay Bayugan 2, Agusan del Sur, on March 22. It said the long rod used for harvesting caught a live wire that electrocuted the worker.

Muanag was brought to the Davao Medical Center, where he died the following day. He is the fifth FPPI worker to die of electrocution since November 2011. Four other workers survived similar accidents.

The victims were casual employees who had worked in the company for years, according to the FPPWU. Because of their employment status, they reportedly did not receive just compensation.

Armand Hernando, CTUHR coordinator for documentation, said FPPI should be held liable for the death of Muanag, who had worked for the FPPI for 12 years.

Hernando said despite Muanag’s years of service, he was never promoted to regular status and was paid below minimum wage, like all other plantation workers.

He added that Muanag also did not receive social-security benefits such as SSS, Pag-IBIG and PhilHealth, and did not enjoy paid leaves and 13th-month pay, which are all provided by law.

“Five workers have died in less than two years because of electrocution. Both the FPPI and the government must not wait for another worker to die and they must immediately act on this,” Hernando said.

According to the CTUHR coordinator, the company should be held liable for violating the workers’ right to security of tenure and other benefits.

“The company is practically depriving the workers of their rights, even [after] their death. This is totally disturbing. The FPPI’s massive and long-term contractualization and disobedience to labor standards must be stopped,” he said.

There are still some 289 dismissed workers who are fighting for reinstatement in FPPI, according to Hernando.

The dismissals came after an ocular inspection conducted by Department of Labor and Employment officials in October 2012 confirmed the company’s non-implementation of labor standards.

This issue prompted the union to hold a 62-day strike that ended in January after Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz assumed jurisdiction, forcing the protesting workers to return to work.