Thousands of workers are eager to hear President Duterte’s first ever Labor Day message, which the Department of Labor and Employment had said will contain a “surprise” gift for them, this afternoon in Davao City.
Labor groups bared their wish list last week in the hope that Duterte will address it in his announcement today.
A higher wage and financial subsidy made it to the top of the list of the Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines, a member of the Nagkaisa Labor Coalition and the Kilusang Mayo Uno.
The other demands of both labor groups include ending contractualization, improving the delivery of social services to workers, and the ratification of the International Labor Organization Convention 151, which will empower government workers to organize.
KMU and Nagkaisa said they will attend Duterte’s scheduled meeting with labor and employers’ representatives this afternoon at the People’s Park in Davao City before he delivers his Labor Day message.
“We are really eager to know what will be the President’s gift to workers,” Nagkaisa chairman Michael Mendoza said.
Prior to the meeting, Nagkaisa and KMU will deploy 10,000 and 30,000 of its members, respectively, in Metro Manila this morning to call on Duterte to grant their demands.
However, some labor groups such as the Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino announced they will skip the Duterte’s dialogue since they are not optimistic that Duterte will make any significant pronouncement during the meeting.
“How will we be interested in attending the event if the President has yet to fulfill his promise to workers to end all forms of contractualization?” BMP President Leody de Guzman said. (Samuel Medenilla)