Why the NUJP should drop its pretense of being a media workers’ union

CARLOS H. CONDE   BIO   |   MORE POSTS

I cannot presume to know the current inner workings of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) but I find it distressing that, except for releasing a statement on June 29, the union has apparently not done much to support and promote the welfare of the dozens of workers of television giant ABS-CBN who have been fired by the company or at risk of being dismissed simply because they are demanding what is due them as employees.

The NUJP was founded, first and foremost, to promote and protect the rights of media workers and journalists. In recent years, responding to the attacks on journalists (104 killed since 2001), it has shifted its focus to highlight these atrocities. To be sure, the NUJP’s campaign against these attacks is laudable, but it shouldn’t lose sight of its main mandate – unless, of course, the current officials of the union have decided to do away with it. If they have, they might as well drop the “union” from its name.

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