Thousands of workers
troop to the streets on May 1

Basahin ang artikulong ito sa Pilipino

Twenty-thousand workers gathered at the Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila on May 1, International Workers' Day. Police and military forces blocked delegations from Quezon and Sto. Tomas, Batangas on their way to Manila to join the mass actions.

In Pampanga, more than 2,000 workers from the Cosmos, Pepsi and San Miguel factories rallied against contractualization in front of the Clark Economic Zone. Meanwhile, some 2,000 workers from the Cavite export processing zone (EPZA) assailed EPZA's "no union, no strike" policy. Hundreds of workers also staged mass actions in Baguio and Naga City.

In the Visayas, more than 22,000 workers and government employees rallied in various cities. Significant mass actions waged in Tacloban (5,000), Iloilo (4,000), Bacolod (5,000) and Cebu (3,000) demanded wage increases and assailed the proposed amendments to the labor code.

In Davao, up to 4,000 rallied. In General Santos, more than 4,000 workers, mostly from Dole Philippines, gathered at the city center. Hundreds rallied in Cagayan de Oro.

On April 28, Bayan Muna representatives in congress filed alternative amendments to the labor code that comprehensively addressed workers' demands. Bayan Muna Rep. Liza Maza called for a congressional investigation of the widespread practice of contractualization in large companies like SM.

Bayan Muna Rep. Crispin Beltran has likewise been relentlessly pushing in congress a proposal for a P125 across-the-board wage increase.

07 May 2003
English Edition

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