Groups hold protest on Labor Day, call for wage hike

Several workers' groups staged protest actions in different parts of the country calling for wage increase in observance of the Labor Day on Monday.

“Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), together with different labor groups and federations, led a national protest day on May 1 International Labor Day,” KMU said in a statement.

“Across the country, several protests rallied for urgent and significant wage increase,” it added.

In the National Capital Region, KMU said Philippine Trade Unions (APTU) at 8 a.m. marched from Espana to Mendiola, where they conducted a program.

The groups were calling on the government for a wage increase, to produce more jobs, and to address the effects of inflation.

KMU and allied forces and organizations also marched to the US Embassy as President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is set to meet with United States President Joe Biden in Washington.

“May 1 should have been an opportune time for BBM to finally sit down with workers and discuss, face-to-face and without any liaisons, ways to move forward,” KMU chairperson Elmer Labog said.

“Yet again, he has chosen to get on a plane and leave us behind,” he added.

KMU secretary general Jerome Adonis slammed Marcos for choosing to attend a meeting with Biden than to face the concerns of workers in the country during the Labor Day.

“Siya ay isang runaway president, taksil sa manggagawang Pillipino at nagpapakatuta sa Kano (He is a runaway president, traitor to Filipino workers, and a lap dog to the Americans),” he said.

Marcos in his Labor Day message paid tribute to the workers, saying they were important in sustaining the country’s “soaring economy.”

“On behalf of our grateful Filipino people, I laud our workforce for their unwavering service and sacrifice in their respective fields and also for their significant contribution in our country’s development,” Marcos said.

He also signed an executive order creating an inter-agency committee that will strengthen the coordination and facilitate the resolution of labor cases in the country.

Executive Order No. 23 reinforces and protects and freedom of association and right to organize of workers, according to the Presidential Communications Office (PCO). Marcos said the EO is his Labor Day gift to Filipino workers.

Meanwhile, contractual workers and recipients of Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) order of regularization in PLDT marched towards the Supreme Court to demand the release of the decision on the matter.

The protesters said the case has been pending before the SC for five years and some of the recipients have already died waiting for the regularization order.

Fire trucks were on standby in some areas of the protests, according to a report of Manny Vargas on Dobol B TV.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Police General Benjamin Acorda Jr. ordered his men to exercise maximum tolerance, PNP spokesperson Police Colonel Jean Fajardo said.

“Ang utos sa atin ng chief PNP, si Police General Benjamin Acorda Jr., maging mahinahon ang ating kapulisan at ang ating policy sa maximum tolerance ay masiguro na nasusunod on the ground,” she said in an interview on Dobol B TV.

(Acorda ordered us to be calm and ensure that the maximum tolerance policy is being observed on the ground.)

There was no reported untoward incident in connection with the Labor Day protest actions as of 9 a.m., according to Fajardo.

The PNP earlier said 59,587 police officers would be deployed to ensure public safety and peace during Labor Day activities.—AOL, GMA Integrated News