Happy New Year to All!

Happy New Year to all!

This year 2009 will be a trying time for all of us, especially the working-class. The global recession will be felt in full this year and the weight will be shouldered mostly by the workers and the poor. Employers, in their effort to bring down cost of production, will further cut corners and the first thing to go will be those that belong to the workers.

In the Philippines whose record on Health and Safety is nothing to be proud of, more cost-cutting by bosses will be done to the detriment of the safety of the workers. Capitalist, through their lobbyist in Congress, will push for new legislation to further erode any existing laws which could benefit workers.

Global companies will continue to seek production areas where it will be cheap for them. This would only mean sweatshop conditions for workers.

Thus the need for Occupational Health and Safety activist to be more vigilant and to double our effort. This may be trying times, but it is also a great opportunity for us to be our best.