DAVAO CITY, Philippines—More than 100, 000 workers are expected to join the Labor Day protest rally on May 1 organized by Kilusang Mayo Uno, an official said.
Over the weekend, KMU Chairperson Elmer Labog said that members of the national urban poor alliance Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap and the labor group will lead a three-day protest slated next week.
Labog said the labor day protest would demand the government to grant the P750 national minimum wage increase and to end the practice of labor contractualization and free mass housing.
He said that 10, 000 Mindanao workers is expected to join the protest rally in Davao. A dialogue between President Rodrigo Duterte and the workers was also slated as part of the group’s activities.
Meanwhile, Labog condemned the Philippine National Police units in Pandi, Bulacan for harassing the 20, 000 workers during a Kadamay and KMU-led caravan against ASEAN on Saturday.
Labog said that Pandi PNP personnel “blocked and confiscated” the driver’s licenses of 30 jeepney drivers leading the caravan around 1:00 p.m today.
“The KMU and KADAMAY led Caravan against ASEAN is set to arrive this afternoon in Quezon City to hold a multi-sectoral protest against the ASEAN’s imposition of neoliberal economic policies that worsens the poverty and hunger among workers and the urban poor,” he said.
“ASEAN’s definition of economic competency means lower wages and full autonomy of monopoly capitalists to exploit the labor force of its member countries. These neoliberal policies will only serve the economic interests of the world’s biggest monopoly capitalists,” Labog said. (davaotoday.com)
