The abolition of
contractualization and the regional wage boards were the top demands of the
labor partylist Partido Manggagawa (PM) in nationwide rallies to commemorate
Bonifacio Day. Some one thousand workers, urban poor, community youth and
college students joined the mobilization in Manila. Coordinated rallies were
also held today in Cebu, Bacolod and Davao.
“If Gat Andres
Bonifacio were alive today, he would no doubt be leading another revolution to
defend workers against the onslaught of endo by greedy capitalists, the
cheapening of wages by the regional wage boards and the loss of our sovereignty
to both the US and China. To symbolize the fight, instead of ripping Spanish
cedulas, Bonifacio would be tearing up the endo contracts and the wage orders,”
stated Rene Magtubo, PM national chair.
PM together with
allied groups Kilos Maralita, Umalab Ka, National Federation of Labor, Aguila
(Association of General Unions, Institutions and Labor Associations) and PUP
student group SPEAK assembled its contingents at Blumentritt, Espana early this
morning. By 9:00 am, they moved a short distance to Welcome Rotonda to merge
with other groups under the labor coalition Nagkaisa. Around 10:00 am, the
several-thousand strong rally marched down Espana towards Morayta. There
Nagkaisa held a program to issue its “workers’ challenge” to candidates in the coming
elections.
PM is calling on Congress
to pass the pending Security of Tenure bill that provides for strict regulation
against contractualization and aims to make regular jobs the norm in employment
relations. Likewise, the group is demanding for a reform of the wage setting
mechanism and a return to a national minimum wage instead of the present regional
wages.
Magtubo asserted
that “Duterte promised to abolish endo the moment he becomes president. In a
dialogue with labor groups, he also said that ‘provincial rates’ must be
eliminated. Three years into his term, these remain broken promises. Instead of
focusing on people’s concerns like wages, jobs and inflation, his administration
aims to capture the Senate so it can railroad the shift to federalism through
charter change even as it continues the bloody war on drugs and prepares to
start a new, bloodier war against communist rebels.”
PM is participating
in the coming elections for the partylist. The demand to end endo and abolish
the regional wage boards are part of its platform of “Apat na Dapat.” The other
demands include provision of decent housing for the poor, subsidy for
sustainable agriculture by farmers, and social services for women and youth.
November 30, 2018
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