Entry on Journal : September
25, 2016
Location : Sembawang
Shipyard, Singapore
"United Filipino Seafares is no longer a self proclaimed workers
union but is now a commercial enterprise that harasses critics and brutally
exploits its member sailors , and acts as an unofficial police force on its
member shipping companies on any of their employees who would go rogue. They
cannot protect Filipino sailors rights nor even its interest "
- Unknown Filipino Sailor -
Lots of
things have went by in a couple of days, most the time I spent was exploration
of the whole Singapore island. Trying to see things , afterall I think there's
not going to be another opportunity to see this place in years or maybe not at
all in the future - so I'm seizing the moment.
Lately
since communications are now better , I decided to post something on the social
media - actually in facebook groups. I posted the topic about the
discriminatory and racist bond store treatment here on this ship, I posted a
picture telling that Filipino's are the only ones that should pay for their
bond in cash, Of course it caught the attention of one of the members of UFS (United Filipino Sailors) and turns out they said a reply saying that I shouldn't post anything
damaging to a company and its principal as it jeopardizes Filipino jobs. If I
post any more negative remarks on the social media , there is a possibility
that the principal will pull out and leave some Filipino's job less. If I have
a complaint about discrimination on why Filipino's are the only ones that have
to pay for the bond store in cash. I should directly file a complaint on CF
Sharp (the manning agency responsible) and tell them my grievances, even threaten that they
will report me (indirectly implied
"black list" me and will never find work again as a sailor) that I'm posting a "black propaganda" and
will feel the full fury of CF Sharp and Norstar principal on my
"irresponsible" social media posting. In simple terms they are siding
with the company and its principal, and have sold me out - plain and simple.
Bastards even threatened me and gave example of people in the past who
questioned the wrong doings of the companies ended up being blacklisted
WHAT THE
FUCK ??!! JESUS. H. CHRIST !!! , Well never saw it coming, Anyway Haven't they
thought that the reason why I'm posting this was because it jeopardizes
Filipino's jobs because of unfair treatment , This so called seafaring industry
should not be based on numbers alone but on what quality of working conditions
there is. Filipino's may have the highest numbers of sailors out there but that
doesn't mean that we are treated fairly and equally. The problem with them is
that they base the quality of Filipino work in number's on a paper and not on
the standard working conditions.
For the
record the thing I posted in Facebook group "Tinig ng Marino" , is
not a complaint but an inquiry. Meaning I'm not complaining but asking, whether
the answer is positive or negative - it doesn’t matter and let the readers in
public decide for themselves.
It's
a shame and ironic that they call themselves "The workers union" and
yet they are powerless to protect people and even favour huge companies and
principal (and as matter of fact even help
the companies). Its true that they do
most of the time, they do fight for workers' rights , but when it comes to
questioning the authority and company principals - the wind shifts and all of a
sudden, "the worker's Union" become foe than an ally and they "sell-out"
people. Their main reason to them is "that if we question the principal
and its policies, chances are that principals will pull out their business and
there will be no more jobs left for Filipino sailors" . To simply put any
negative inquiry to them , of any wrong doing is considered taboo and should
not be discussed. To simply say , the United Filipino Sailors is either afraid
of the companies (or principals) or protecting them.
Nelson
Ramirez reply on my posting made even emphasis that some of the Filipinos
sailors who filed a million dollar medical claim for industrial accidents like
the 2nd engineer he specifically mentioned that got his hand chopped off. He
said that the engineers claim was malicious and was plainly money driven, and
that he jeopardized Filipino jobs because of this. Now the point here is this,
would Mr. Nelson Ramirez think that it's easy for the 2nd engineer to get his
hand chopped off in the accident ? What would Mr. Nelson Ramirez feel if it was
his hand that get severed ? . The labour court have already decided that the
2nd engineer should be awarded on his accident claims and it is only his right
to do so after what happened to him, the court in the Philippines are not that
stupid and analyze thoroughly the case of the claimant and found the engineer
to be valid. Of course as a retaliation from the principal, they axed a few
jobs. To him the bad guy on his story was the 2nd engineer, not the principal
who unethically launched a retaliation which axed a few jobs.
So
to them my understanding is that , its ok to be discriminated, treated poorly
and unfairly like a dog as long as we get to keep those jobs. If that is
they're way of life according to "UFS" and Mr. Nelson Ramirez. - THEN ITS SURVIVING, BUT NOT LIVING.
They reason out that compared to Myanmar and Indian's, Filipino's have more
benefits. Yes it's true that Filipino's might have some edge over those
nationalities but those benefits are just only paper when you can't use them
because of discrimination and racism. Basically to them the meaning of being
number 1 in the maritime industry is by numbers on the paper, that do not
reflect the actual good working conditions and that the principal is the
absolute authority of this business, and of course their so called
"Workers Union" who acts more of like its own private police force,
to protect not the people but their business. The reason why their organization
became a lapdog was because the UFS itself benefits on the sponsorship money (advertisements on their propaganda material "TINIG
NG MARINO") given by the companies
thus in exchange give them protection in return to any would be threats and
complaints from any of their former crews , either valid or not.
The
reality is this, any company (and
principal) who is not a member of their
UFS union can be criticize but any company (and
principal) who is a member get
protection. ( Hmpf sounds more like an
organized "legal" mafia rather than a real workers union who fights
for labour rights )
It’s a
shame that once I had high regards to Mr. Ramirez the leader of the so called
self-proclaim workers union called "United Filipino Sailors", but now
seeing this makes me turn my head in dismay and disgust probably because I
didn’t knew better that his ideals had a price. He always waves about his
awards accumulated , even brags he's the "Champion" of the Filipino
Seafarers workers Union and yet his words and actions tell the opposite. Those
awards he won are just basically wood made out of the blood of his fellow
Filipino sailors which he sold out to the principal and companies. His lectures
and propaganda in Facebook groups if examined closely tell more of being a
"PRO-Company" than pro workers, one such example is his lecture about
"AGE LIMITATION" - then after the lecture he advertises his so called
"financial" seminar for sailors , which apparently I think has a fee
and profits out of the misery of other rather instead of giving solutions to old
over aged sailors . If you read it closely , the principals words to him are
law - and from my understanding even above the Philippine law. He even scorns
sailors who have medical claim disputes to principals.
Even
his so called help to "cadets" are basically not help at all - it
might look as he was helping but if you look closely those
"Volunteer" cadets are just making a tradeoff to work on the manual
labour of his office in exchange for sweet words and recommendations and
influence over shipping companies. In other words his exploiting them and
taking advantage of the cadets desperation on the lack of jobs in this
"Maritime Field", as like any other shipping company out there. If he
is really sincere and want to help those
cadets (like other workers union in europe), then help them without asking anything in return or
a tradeoff - plain and simple. For me it’s a form of enslavement as what
Benvenido Lorque accused them when he defected from UFS. Basically he's letting
those exploited and poor cadets work for free (unpaid) and without any proof of a
"contract" that these cadets work , by the end of the day if the
cadet is in bad terms with him (or any
staff )
- he can just simply deny the fact that the cadet (or staff) didn't
even worked at all or never even existed if he wants to .
Despite
my disgust over the "union" , I am powerless to tackle the
"union" itself probably because they are backed by Collective union
of the abusive shipping companies and principals. Anybody who would go against
them or gets in their way (along with
their so called "workers union" which is now private police force
"United Filipino Sailors") will
probably be crushed and incarcerated or in my situation "black
listed" . I remember one of my favorite scientist , his name was
"Galileo Galilei" who said that the earth was not in the center of
the universe and incurred the wrath of the roman catholic church (a major authority and force to reckon with during that
time). His inquires had him being
condemned and put under house arrest for the rest of his life,,. Few hundred
years later after his death , people found out he was telling the truth, and it
was only in the 80's that a public apology from the church was made. His ideas
stands as a symbol of a lifelong struggle to free inquiry over authority and
the dogmas of theology
To
begin with my ideas are unpopular and if there is any evidence that will be
used against me , there is no safest place but inside my head. Keep it all up
there nothing more and anyone who goes toe to toe against the "Union"
(Called United Filipino Sailors) will get crushed or suffer a worst fate like
harassment, threats and filing of numerous law suits against its critics , .
They have the machinery and money to make things go their way plus a horde of
overzealous fanatics,
United Filipino
Sailors is no longer a workers union but now it's a commercial enterprise that
harasses critics and brutally exploits its member sailors , and acts as an
unofficial police force on its member shipping companies on any of their
employees who would go rogue. They cannot and refuse to protect Filipino
sailors rights nor even its interest
I knew the
risk of telling the truth would be a very high price, be as it may as this is
the rule in the Philippine Maritime Community - I'm not telling people to
believe me nor telling them not to believe, What I'm telling is that they
should make their choice what I am saying is my story.
EXTRA
FACTS …..
Here is
some clips I had accumulated on some research , it's up to the people reading
this to balance the facts. This is a month long personal investigation on this
person and some facts here are based on what he's former right hand , and
former associate C/E Bienvinido Lorque, leaked in public.
*Mr. Nelson
Ramirez is not a Chief Engineer, as what he initially states in public, instead
the truth was he was a Second Engineer instead and that he was only a high
school graduate. He didn’t even went to a college course at all like Bachelor
of Science in Marine Engineering. Compared to Filipino Sailors nowadays that
are actual graduates of BSMT or BSME course. He fabricated the lie to brainwash
the public thinking that he was a respectable person , but deep inside the mask
is that he is no more than an extortionist thug
*He claims
to be a graduate of Philippine Merchant Marine Academy (PMMA) , but in reality
he was only "adopted" by the said school. He didn’t even attended
classes there at all (since he's only a high school graduate)
*according
to lorque, United Filipino Seafarers and its Media Arm "Tinig ng
Marino" is a dummy organization and practically doesn’t exist at all and
that only Nelson Ramirez is the person who is pulling the string to make it
look like the organization really exists. In reality the workers union was
actually just a front for his numerous personal business
*According
to Lorque, United Filipino Seafarers is engaged in widespread extortion
activities in the Philippine Maritime Community.
*C/E Lorque
stated and confirmed that Ramirez is involve in a conspiracy money scam ,
involving training centers and shipping companies. Using UFS organization as a
front, claims that his "Dummy" board members were actually owners of
shipping companies and Training Centers.
*He also
added that the profits made by UFS , are being diverted to his assets (and farm
/ ranch) and personal bank accounts. In other words , he is pocketing the money
from the workers union to himself. Making it his personal money making business
and savings account
*Another
information that Chief Engineer Lorque leaked was that the UFS and nelson
ramirez was also engaged in "Ambulance Chasing" , Contrary to their
propaganda against labour lawyers and law firms and accuse them of unethical practice. He mentioned that UFS takes some
cut on labour money court claims by sailors who sought their help and mentioned
something like CBA 60 / 70 word, this involves a huge amount of money (as in
millions of pesos) and always ends up Nelson Ramirez getting a huge portion of
the claim, pocketing it to himself instead of the victim.
*Nelson P.
Ramirez, has been on the Philippines for almost 22 years and despite the fact
that he's unofficially unemployed , He has amassed a huge wealth and brags
about his farm and office even has its own quasi media arm news paper called
"Tinig ng Marino"
