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Wednesday, April 23, 2003
KMU to hold big Labor Day rally
MORE than 8,000 workers and other militants will hold a big rally next week in observance of the 100th International Labor Day.
In a press conference held at the union office of Amado-Kadena, the workers said the May 1 Labor Day rally in General Santos City will be the biggest in over 10 years.
Amado-Kadena, an affiliate of the National Federation of Labor Union-Kilusang Mayo Uno (NAFLU-KMU), is the local union at Dole Philippines Inc.
Amado-Kadena president Jose Teruel said they would be joined by urban poor and peasant organizations in the South Cotabato-Sarangani-General Santos City area.
Worker said they would take advantage of the centennial labor day celebration to oppose the proposed omnibus amendments of the Labor Code and to press for their long standing demand of P125 nationwide across the board increase in the daily wage of workers.
They claimed the proposed amendment would only legalize job contractualization.
At the same time, the militant labor group also said they would block the two-year strike moratorium being proposed by a group of big businessmen in Manila.
Teruel said they would not compromise the right of the workers to strike, which is guaranteed in the Constitution.
"(President) Arroyo promised to create a million job every year when she was sworn in as president but failed. What made these businessmen think they could create three million jobs by curtailing our right to strike?" Teruel said in the local dialect.
On the contrary, the government should protect the welfare of Filipino workers who continue to suffer from contractualization and massive unemployment, Teruel added.
Boy Beghanilum, union vice president, claimed more than 3 million Filipino workers are unemployed in the country today.
In addition, he claimed a large number of companies are "wantonly violating" labor standards such as non-remittance of SSS, underpayment of wages and many others.
The workers claimed it is the "pro-capitalist policies" of the government that are driving the workers in "abject poverty." EGE
(April 23, 2003 issue)
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