Workers march to Mendiola

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VARIOUS UNIONS AND workers’ associations, alongside church people held a “Workers’ March” at Mendiola Bridge in Manila last August 27. They called for the end of contractualization and to fight against the worsening economic conditions of workers and the people.

Thousands from around 20 organizations participated in the march led by Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) and the Church-Labor Conference headed by Manila Auxiliary Bishop Pabillo. A similar march was conducted by Samahan ng mga Manggagawa laban sa Kontrakwalisasyon (SAMA AKO) in Davao City.
Protests were also held in the cities of Cebu and Bacolod in Visayas.

Meanwhile, more than 300 workers of Liwayway Marketing Corporation went on strike last August 24 after its management denied the workers’ just call to regularize all contractuals. The workers are under four labor contractors despite working for 15 years for the company behind Oishi products.

In related news, PLDT supervisors plan to go on strike after being made by the company to overwork resulting in health issues. PLDT supervisors are being made to do extra jobs covering the work of 12,000 contractuals recently laid-off en masse. The laid-off contractuals expressed full support to the supervisors.

People’s protests

In Bacolod City, around 1,500 members of the Ka­li­pu­nan ng Da­ma­yang Ma­hi­hi­rap (Ka­da­may)-Neg­ros camped-out in front of an unoccupied government housing project in Barangay Felisa last August 30.
Kadamay has long asked the National Housing Authority to award them the said housing. According to Berlita Ante, Ka­da­may-Neg­ros secre­tary ge­ne­ral, they will not occupy the houses as long as the Bacolod NHA is open to a dialogue. The protests will continue until such dialogue takes place.

Counter-terrorism. Various national minority groups marched and protested in front of the Manila Regional Trial Court last August 31 to file a motion to remove indigenous leaders from the list of terrorists in a case submitted by the Department of Justice to the said court.

They condemned the continuing arrests and detention of around 170 indigenous leaders and individuals.
Defense of Lumad schools. Save our Schools Network (SOS) and Salinlahi Alliance protested in front of the Congress last August 28 during deliberations of the Department of Education (DepEd) budget.

They called for the release of permits to operate of Lumad schools and condemned DepEd for allowing military presence in their schools.

The “Eskwelehang Bakwit” was reestablished in Metro Manila last September 3 bearing the calls against militarization and harassment of Lumad schools by the Duterte regime.

Workers march to Mendiola