Strike Dampens Servicemen’s Weekend

Friday was a blistering day at the big American military bases north of Manila--96 degrees at Clark Air Base, 93 at Subic Bay Naval Base--and it was payday for servicemen.

But in the seventh day of a strike by Filipino workers, the gates of the bases remained closed, Friday night liberty in the towns outside was scratched and American commanders worried about tempers rising.

Outside Clark, Filipino pickets stoned a passing Air Force bus. No injuries were reported.

“It is absolutely imperative we stay away from the gates and the perimeter. . . . Nothing will be gained by violence,” Air Force Brig. Gen. Charles Luigs warned service personnel at Clark.

Rear Adm. Edwin R. Kohn, the U.S. military commander in the Philippines, appeared to have the same concerns. “Remember,” he said, “this is a union-management issue, not a U.S.-Filipino issue. There should be no confrontation . . . so don’t push it, please.”

Wants Gates Reopened

Kohn met again Friday with Roberto Flores, leader of the federation representing the striking workers at Clark and Subic. He said the issue was reopening the gates at the two bases where 16,000 servicemen live and work.

If the gates are opened, Kohn said, “then we can discuss other issues. We have nothing to report as far as progress.”

U.S. spokesmen say military operations have not been affected, but the Navy was still weighing a decision on whether to turn back a five-ship amphibious group due to arrive in Subic.

With the troops confined to the bases, facilities were being squeezed. Spokesmen appealed to those with base housing to make room for others who could not find quarters.

Military dependents were filling in for Filipino workers on a volunteer basis.

The Far East Network, the military’s radio and television voice in the Philippines, ran notices of affected activities throughout the day. Biking, bowling and other athletic programs have been shut down for the duration of the strike. An egg hunt was canceled.

Instructions Broadcast

For those caught off base when the strikers closed the gates with pickets and barricades, the network broadcast instructions on how to purify water. On base, the manager of the noncommissioned officers club at Clark said that bar sales have tripled with the liberty-town saloons out of reach.

The Filipino workers were feeling the pinch as well.

“Our employees have lost over 30 million pesos (about $1.5 million) in wages this week,” Kohn said. “There’s no winners. Everybody’s losing.”

The workers are asking for a package of benefits including severance pay upon resignation. They make about 20 times as much as Filipino farm hands but far less than the American civilian and military workers on the bases.

Remigio Simbillo, a picket leader at Clark, told reporters the strikers are willing to withdraw the severance issue in return for retirement with pay at age 45 or 15 years of service, 330 pounds of rice per worker per month, strike-duration pay and a one-year moratorium on layoffs.

Kohn said that no new proposal had been forwarded to his negotiating team.