Workers hold rally despite heavy rains
3 MIN READ
BAGUIO CITY (May 1) — Heavy rains greeted members of labor unions and different organizations as they held up placards and marched down Session Road and Magsaysay Avenue in their commemoration of Labor Day.
The pounding rain did not hinder workers from voicing out their established unity in their campaign in upholding workers’ rights and welfare.
LABOR DAY MARCH. Workers join the May 1 rally calling for P125 across the board wage increase in Baguio City. Photo by Grace Nacu/NORDIS
“Despite the rain, the event was successful and today’s mobilization was welcomed with great enthusiasm,” Nenita Gonzaga, Vice-President of Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU)- National Federation of Labor Unions (NAFLU) for Women said in an interview.
With the slogan, “Korupsyon, Pambubusabos, at Pandarahas Wakasan,” more than 300 labor union members and other sectors joined the mass action.
Opposing contractuali-zation, organizing unions
In a statement given by KMU-Cordillera, even though the unemployment rate has improved from 5.1 % in November 2007 to 4.3% in January 2008, poverty worsened among the Cordillera people.
Brought about by labor flexibilization, regular employments have been replaced by several contractual jobs, but were not sufficient.
The rallyists strongly oppose the prevailing labor contractualization nowadays because according to Gonzaga, contractual laborers not only receive wages lower than the minimum rate, but also do not get any benefits in the short five-month duration of their employment.
“Continuous organizing and furthering the knowledge of the laborers on their rights will be the stepping stones towards a bigger mobilization,” she added.
On the other hand, James Tulipa, the spokesperson of KMU-Cordillera believes that workers should organize themselves to form labor unions to protect their democratic and labor rights.
In the case of the Lepanto Employees Union, the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the management of Lepanto Mining Company was concluded. It included a general increase of P86 for the three-year term of the CBA.
On the Women’s front
Not only laborers are given the chance to voice out their grievances but campaigns for women laborers are also being pursued.
According to Vernie Yocogan-Diano of Innabuyog-Gabriela, even as women give up their education and health needs to sustain their family’s needs, their wages in the rural areas do not meet the minimum rate set by the Regional Wage Board.
“If the minimum wage rate in the Cordilleras is P 215 a day, the women only receive P70,” said Diano.
Because of this, the women are forced to get out of their community to find better opportunities in urban areas. However, finding jobs outside their communities does not guarantee them complete benefits.
Meanwhile, Gabriela Women’s Partylist representatives Liza Maza and Luz Ilagan have introduced a bill asking for the maternal leave of women workers to be extended from 60 to 120 days.
Strengthening the advocacy
Labor Day, for all the workers present in the event, was not only a celebration that commemorates the contributions of the laborers in the country, but a celebration of the success of previous campaigns and the tenacity of the ongoing ones.
“This is very important,” John Silverio Saligbon, the preceding Chairperson of League of Filipino Students (LFS)-UP Baguio said. “We are supporting the never-ending struggle of the laborers—they deserve more than what they are getting,” he added.
“We are one with the workers in their demand for enactment of a P125-wage increase law because of the worsening economic crisis in the country,” Secretary-General of Tongtongan ti Umili, Chie Galvez said.
Because of the crisis plaguing the country today, unions and organizations in the forefront of this struggle are looking forward to expanding their campaign for the laborers’ rights. # Mary Grace Nacu and Niña Camille Pacial for NORDIS
