MAY Day, the first day of May, is Labor Day in the Philippines. This special day gives honor to the workers all over the country. The workers help build our economy, give revenue to the government and oil the machinery of our society.
Under the reign of Covid-19, the workers in private firms are badly hit... work stoppage, no work-no pay. Those caught by the ECQ outside of their permanent residences have no way of returning to their provinces. Their presence in their boarding houses or places of work poses a problem. They are not certain if they can receive assistance packages from the barangays.
Many of them do not know what to do in order to avail the social amelioration program of the government. Labor, the pillar of our economy, easily crumbles at the first strike of the corona virus. The first focus of the government is to worry on the situation of the poorest of the poor who in the first place are jobless already.
Those workers returning from their work abroad because of pandemic were stranded in Manila and they have to take a 14-day mandatory quarantine. After 14 days, they still have a problem in going home... no plane and commercial ship are available. They have to wait for special trips to be arranged by the government.
A special trip is not easy to facilitate and when there is one, their home province may not be ready to take in hundreds or even thousands of returning laborers. Many provinces do not have enough facilities for another 14-day quarantine required by the local IATF.
Returning laborers who are stranded in time suffer emotional, mental and financial anguish. This is morbid and thousands of their family members in the provinces are also in distress. This is what we call the multiplier effect of Covid-19 torture. It kills while we are still alive.
We cannot afford to blame each other... not even the government. We have to consider that our officials are politicians. Only a handful of them could create anti- disaster plans and play the roles of managers in crisis management. Many of them can just speak and at least make promises. We have to persevere with that reality.
Contrary to popular belief, Labor Day is not of communist origin. Rather, it came about as part of the growth of the capitalist culture. After all, capitalism magnifies the need of the working class for humane and just labor standards considering that the workers form the backbone of the industry.
The evolution of what labor should be had a long and bitter process. Labor was organized to address the below-standard labor conditions of the time. It is so complicated because among other concerns it demands an eight-hour working day, the abolition of child labor, land reform, public ownership of utilities, and the taxation of income and inheritance.
Those who are active in labor organizations are tagged by the capitalists, industrialists, and puppet politicians as leftists, non-conformists, communists, radical, socialists, left wing or even psychos. They became convenient scapegoats. They are blamed for the bombings and implicated with the anarchist movement.
Students joining labor demonstrations are branded as collectivists or socially indoctrinated bastards. Priests spearheading prayer rallies to support the cause of labor are identified as CPP-NPA-NDF supporters. Those who are there as curious onlookers are oftentimes dragged as innocent victims.
We will miss the colorful Labor Day Celebration because of ECQ... no rally, no demonstration, no protest march, no peppery speeches, no blaring slogans in red textiles, no convergence, no street drama, and no cat and mouse chase between the policemen and the street parliamentarians. Laborers cannot expect for a salary increase from President Digong.
Labor Day significance could still be there... in our prayers, in media outlets, particularly social media. This time, labor and capital could virtually rally against one villain in the industry....Covid-19. Mabuhay ang mga workers!