MORE than 10,000 workers are expected to participate in the Labor Day rally at Freedom Park this May 1, the spokesperson of a labor coalition said.
Sofriano "Ka Undo" Mataro, spokesperson of Nagkaisa Davao and regional vice president of Associated Labor Union-TUCP, said in a press conference Tuesday last week that they will use the May 1 rally to express their various pleas.
"It will be an opportune time not only to push for the P104 across the board wage increase but also to call for the end of contractualization in the Philippines," he said.
He said the all local members of ALU-TUCP will most likely participate, including members of Tadeco group.
He said they expect that members ALU-TUCP alone would reach 10,000 as they made the attendance compulsory given the issues.
Groups such as Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisang Mangagawa are also expected to join.
In the same press conference, Rodel Abenoja, regional secretary of Sentro, said they will just ask President Rodrigo Duterte to fulfill his promise to the laborers, particularly on the end to contractualization.
"Last year, he promised that he will submit a labor proposal and to craft an executive order, June came and still it was not implemented. He promised again that he will sign an E.O on April 16, on that day the Labor Coalition was shocked because the signing was canceled," he said.
Abenoja through that press conference urged the President not to forget his promise because a majority from the labor groups supported him because of that.
Abenoja also said Department Order 174 is not enough to end contractualization.
"The D.O was out a year ago but still did not pave way for regularization of the principal (workers), in fact until now from the filing for labor inspection, there is still no decision from the office labor secretary, all are pending," he said.
Abenoja said the signing of E.O is the surest way to end contractualization as it will signal the urgency of its discussion in the Senate.
Earlier, Duterte announced that amendments to the Labor Code to end contractualization will be up to Congress.