Workers are launching protests today in
Manila and Cebu in response to President Rodrigo Duterte’s veto of the Security
of Tenure bill last Friday, on the eve of its lapse into law. The noise barrage
today is also the start of labor’s renewed campaign for a strong law to
strictly regulate the rampant practice of contractualization.
“The Security of Tenure bill is the
latest victim of killing under the Duterte regime. Workers vow to continue the
fight to end endo,” declared Wilson Fortaleza, spokesperson of Partido
Manggagawa (PM).
PM and other labor groups such as Sentro
ng Progresibo at Nagkakaisang Manggagawa (SENTRO) and Alliance of General
Unions, Institutions and Labor Associations (AGUILA) will launch this afternoon
a noise barrage dubbed “Black Monday Protest.” In Metro Manila, the protest is
at 5:00 pm at the Boy Scout Circle. While in Metro Cebu, the noise barrage is
also at 5:00 pm at Gate 1 of the Mactan Economic Zone in Lapu-Lapu City. Protesters
will wear black to symbolize the death of the SOT bill.
The groups also preparing to lobby the
new Congress for a new and stronger version of the Security of Tenure bill.
“Workers want a law that will ensure regular jobs is the norm in employment
relations. We do not accept Duterte’s excuse that employers can outsource jobs
even if it is directly related and necessary to its business. That simply opens
the floodgates to the abusive system of contractualization that is happening
today,” Fortaleza argued.
“Workers will not forget this betrayal
by Duterte of his promise to end endo. Three months into his administration,
Duterte forcefully warned employers that he will kill them for continuing with
the practice of endo. But now three years into his term, he is parroting the
lame capitalist alibi that businesses will die if workers are made regular.
Duterte’s promise to end endo is dead,” Fortaleza asserted.
He added that “In the class war between
the workers and capitalists on contractualization, Duterte has revealed that he
is an enemy of the working class and the CEO of the capitalist class.”
July 29, 2019
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