THE militant group Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) on Monday dared the International Labor Organization’s (ILO) Director General Guy Ryder to do something against the Aquino government’s violations of workers’ rights, saying that the government is chiefly responsible for the lack of decent jobs in the country.

During his visit to the country last week, the ILO chief observed that despite the Aquino government’s claims of economic growth, the Philippines lags behind many countries in terms of providing decent work.

“The sad state of workers’ rights in the country demand that the ILO director general, and the ILO as a whole, speak up and act against the government’s violations of these rights,” KMU Chairman, Elmer Labog, said in a statement.

“Workers’ rights to a living wage and job security and to unionize and strike have all been attacked by the Aquino government. This government has implemented major policies that trampled on these rights,” he added.

The group said that three of its members and one of its regional leaders have been slapped with false charges this year, all of whom have been ordered arrested by the courts.

Roy Velez (KMU-National Capital Region chairman), Amelita Gamara (KMU-NCR deputy secretary-general) and Ronald Ian Evidente (KMU-Negros spokesman) have all been charged of crimes in connection with activities of rebel group New People’s Army.

Meanwhile, Hermenegildo Marasigan (vice chairman of the Pagkakaisa ng mga Manggagawa sa Timog Katagalugan, KMU’s Southern Tagalog chapter) was charged in relation to an alleged scuffle that broke out in an anti-militarization protest in Laguna.

“We dare the ILO chief to speak up and do something against the Aquino government’s grave violations of workers’ rights. It’s the government that’s chiefly responsible for the dearth of decent work in the country,” Labog said.