Aggressively expand the working class movement!
As the economy continues to be mired in a neverending crisis, there is greater need for a strong and extensive mass movement to defend the people from the crisis' deleterious effects. The key to achieving this in urban areas is to expand the militant workers' movement and its unions. The current economic crisis provides fertile ground for raising workers' consciousness and mobilizing them in their millions. But it also involves massive layoffs, factory closures and the dissolution of both existing unions and those still in the process of being organized. Therefore, not only is it important to increase the number of militant unions, it is likewise necessary to aggressively and quickly do so to meet the challenge of the times.
Barely 10% of the country's 36 million workers are unionized. Only a fraction of unions have collective bargaining agreements (CBA), and even fewer can be regarded as part of the militant workers' movement.
It is extremely difficult to organize unions under the country's pro-capitalist and repressive labor laws. There are so many legal requirements that must first be met, and registering a union with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) entails a very long process. It may take as long as two to three years before a union becomes legitimate. Then its must go through the proverbial eye of a needle to win recognition from the capitalist as a bargaining agent.
Worse, many existing and fledgling unions have been undermined, if not disbanded forthwith as soon as they engage the capitalists. Using repressive laws and tactics, such as assumption of jurisdiction (AJ) orders, capitalists in cahoots with the DOLE crush militant unions and make sure that they are unable to regain any footing.
Nevertheless, none of this should deter the aggressive expansion of militant unions. The workers' movement has had long experience in organizing unions step-by-step even under the direst conditions and despite the most stringent laws. The labor movement has earned many victories that must be used as bases to expand and hasten the pace of workers' organizing. There are militant federations and labor centers that should be used to reach out to many factories and enclaves that have never had unions. There must be closer cooperation between the national center and regional formations to further the expansion and consolidation of militant unionism, especially in the country's largest cities. | The labor movement has earned many victories that must be used as bases to expand and hasten the pace of workers� organizing. |
There are various approaches and tactics or any combination thereof that may be used to establish unions in the quickest time possible. As a start, associations or mass organizations may be set up to reach the biggest number of workers. This is most effective in factories and enclaves with strict anti-union policies.
These organizations will serve as the unions' partners in struggling for workers' rights and welfare both within and outside the factories. They will also serve as a wellspring of militant union leaders and members.
These organizations can freely conduct expansion and consolidation work both within and outside factories. With the exception of strikes, they may launch protest actions and other kinds of collective action to assert union issues even while the union has yet to be established.
Even when the unions have been set up, these organizations may continue to advance various workers' issues. Their support further strengthens the unions.
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