Airmen Climb Over Fences at Clark

CLARK AIR BASE, Philippines —  Dozens of U.S. servicemen trying to get in or out of this American base climbed over fences Saturday to evade striking Filipino workers who have barricaded all the gates for a week.

Air Force spokesman Maj. Thomas Boyd said some of the troops wanted to join their families living off the base. He said there were “scattered incidents of scuffles” when strikers chased airmen, but no injuries were reported.

Clark has about 9,600 U.S. military personnel with about 16,000 dependents, and two-thirds of them live off the base, the Air Force says.

Leaders of the striking union federation on Saturday again rejected a U.S. demand that barricades outside Clark and nearby Subic Bay Naval Base be lifted, the federation said.

About 22,000 Filipino workers have been striking since March 21 over the issue of severance pay upon quitting. Along with Clark and Subic, the United States’ two largest military posts overseas, the strike affects six smaller facilities, which have not been barricaded.

Spokesmen at Clark and Subic said the strike has not impaired military operations.

U.S. officials have said they will discuss the workers’ economic demands only after the barricades are removed.

Remigio Simbillo, head of the workers’ group at Clark, said U.S. negotiators promised to submit counterproposals to the demands of the strikers and “enter into meaningful direct negotiations” within 24 hours after barricades are lifted. Simbillo said the Americans proposed that both sides sign a memorandum of agreement stating this.

But he said Roberto Flores, president of the striking federation, demanded that the Americans first submit the counterproposals.