Friday, September 21, 2018

Workers slam dictatorship threat in martial law anniv protest



Several thousand workers joined the United People’s Action in Luneta today to slam the repression of labor and human rights, and the threat of dictatorship. “Workers already experienced the repression and horrors of dictatorship under Marcos and will not allow a new one to be installed,” averred Rene Magtubo, chairperson of Partido Manggagawa (PM).

PM participated in today’s protest as part of the contingents of Manggagawa Ayaw sa Diktadura and Kalipunan ng mga Kilusang Masa. Manggagawa Ayaw sa Diktadura is comprised of labor and church organizations. Meanwhile Kalipunan was formed by mass organizations of workers, farmers, urban poor, women and youth to confront the looming threat of authoritarianism.

“Workers are here to make our stand not just against the threat of dictatorship but to resist the reality of suppression of labor and human rights. Instead of heeding the demands of the people and implementing his promises, Duterte is all hands on deck in persecuting his political rivals, killing the poor in the bloody war on drugs and demolishing respect for human rights,” insisted Magtubo.

He added that “The persistence of contractualization is a human rights violation. It is a repression of workers’ right to security of tenure. The collapse of workers’ purchasing power due to runaway inflation is a human rights violation. It is a suppression of workers’ right to a living wage and decent life. Ending endo and abolishing regional wages was a promise of Duterte. But two years have gone by and nothing except killings and persecution left and right.”

“Workers were among the first victims of martial law in 1972. Today, workers are again suffering under an increasingly authoritarian rule. We vow to fight and resist,” Magtubo ended.

September 21, 2018

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