The Confederation for Unity, Recognition and Advancement of Government Employees-Negros said it is joining the nationally-coordinated protest activities against the reorganization plan of the Arroyo administration that they say will lead to massive retrenchments and gross violation of employees' rights.

Its chairman, Dan Alcoriza, said the move to streamline the bureaucracy will diminish the delivery of public services because government agencies actually lack personnel.

Figures provided by the group show that about 1.4 million government employees or rough 30 percent of the government workforce will be forced to retire under the “Early Retirement Program.” This year, about 420,000 employees will be affected, the group said.

Alcoriza, who was joined by secretary-general Manuel Linas at a press conference in Bacolod City yesterday, said their initial study indicates that in Negros , employees from agencies like the Department of Agrarian Reform, Department of Labor and Employment, National Food Authority and National Housing Authority, are facing retrenchments and reorganizations.

The group started holding protest actions yesterday in Quezon City and other key cities nationwide against the lay-off of government workers. In Bacolod City , its members are dramatizing their protest by hanging anti-rationalization streamers and wearing black armed bands, Alcoriza said.*NLG

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