Some 150,000 workers are expected to join the nationwide Labor Day indignation rally next week to call on President Duterte to fulfill his campaign promise of eliminating widespread job contractualization or endo.
Labor coalition Nagkaisa and militant labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) held a joint news conference in Manila on Wednesday to bare their plans on Labor Day.
“For the first time since 1969, almost all labor groups will meet for a nationwide indignation rally to convey one message: We are angry at how President Duterte turned his back on the workers,” said Joshua Mata, Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa secretary-general and Nagkaisa member.
Nagkaisa and KMU slammed the decision of Malacañang last week to do away with the signing of their proposed executive order (EO) to end contractualization.
They claimed the EO would have restored regular employment as the norm, and contractual employment as the exception.
“[Presidential Spokesman] Harry L. Roque Jr. said there was no backlash [from the EO]. Well, we are going to make him feel the backlash [on Labor Day],” Mata said.
Renato Magtubo, Partido Manggagawa and Nagkaisa spokesman, said the bulk of the participants of their nationwide rally will come from Metro Manila.
“Around 60,000 to 80,000 is our target in Metro Manila alone. Nationwide our target is 150,000, because we will be holding rallies in other major cities like Cebu, Iloilo, Bacolod, Davao and General Santos,” Magtubo added.
Participants of the simultaneous gatherings will start converging as early as 8 a.m. on May 1 before holding anti-government programs.
Labor leaders from both groups said they will also snub the Labor Day celebration of the Department of Labor and Employment in Cebu.
Vote protest
Aside from street rallies, Mata said, they will also raise their protest by campaigning against administration senatorial candidates in the midterm polls next year.
“If the President fails to fulfill his promise, for sure, his endorsement for those who will run, will be a kiss of death for those candidates…. This will surely affect them,” Mata said.
As for the incumbent senators, Mata added he hopes they will finally approve the pending security of tenure bill (Senate Bill 1116).
SB 1116 will enforce a stricter regulation for contractualization and simplify the classification of regular and probationary employees.
“We hope the senators will commit [in supporting the bill], otherwise they will also feel our wrath,” Mata said.
Uphill battle
Magtubo said that, so far, none among the incumbent senators have officially coordinated with them for their campaign for the approval of the bill, even as, he said, the group is now targeting to get the support of Sens. Emmanuel Joel J. Villanueva, Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel, Joseph Victor G. Ejercito and Juan Edgardo M. Angara.
Without the signed EO on contractualization, Magtubo said they expect an uphill battle in getting the SB 1116 pass through the Senate.
“Villanueva said they are waiting for the EO as signal, that is why it was so important,” Magtubo added.
Villanueva is the head of the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development.