DAVAO CITY – A workers’ group in Laguna said its march of over 3,000 mostly contractual workers is their version of the President’s State of the Nation Address.
Leaders of the Pagkakaisa ng Manggagawa sa Timog Katagalugan-Kilusang Mayo Uno (Pamantik-Kilusang Mayo Uno) said they call their activity the “State of the Workers’ Address (SOWA).”
Allan Bagas, secretary-general of Pamantik said more than 3,000 workers, youth and students joined the event held Thursday at Amar Balibago, Santa Rosa City.
He said most of the participants are from their network of contractual workers under the Bigkisan ng Manggagawa Laban sa Kontraktwalisasyon (Unity of Workers Against Contractualization).
Bagas said “seven to nine out of ten workers in the country have no job security, low wages, lack of benefits, among others because of contractualization.”
However, Bagas said “contractuals can unite and fight for their rights to higher wages, benefits, tenure and better workplaces”
Bagas cited the Tanduay contractuals’ association Tanggulang Ugnayang Daluyang Lakas ng Anakpawis sa Tanduay Distillers, Inc. (Tudla), which has been on strike for more than two months now.
Bagas said the cause of the strike is that “the latest Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) Region IV-A decision to regularize 103 casuals has not been implemented.”
He also described as victory the 2013 case of Sta. Rosa Coca-Cola workers when the company agreed to a regularization package, among other items, in an agreement with the management.
He said the workers will also join a multisectoral march to Manila on Friday to “troop to central offices in the city to protest contractualization and other neoliberal policies in the country.”(davaotoday.com)
