Members of several labor groups staged a protest on Monday, Nov. 27, to demand just wages for laborers, assert worker's rights, oppose the public utility vehicle (PUV) phaseout, and other social issues.
According to RH Boy Gonzales' report, present in the protest were labor groups, Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP), All Workers Unity (AWU), Association of Genuine Labor Organizations (AGLO), and the National Confederation of Labor (NCL).
The groups marched from Sta. Cruz to Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila where a mini program was conducted.
The said protest is in line with the celebration of the 160th birthday date of national hero, Gat Andres Bonifacio on Thursday, Nov. 30.
The majority of the protestors wore a red t-shirt and long sleeves and carried a gold hammer-shaped object.
"Laban ni Andres Bonifacio ay karugtong ng laban ng uring manggawa hanggang sa kasalukuyan!" the banner printed by NCL and AGLO reads.
Grupo ng mga manggagawa, nagtipon sa Maynila para gunitain ang kaarawan ni Gat Andres Bonifacio #MBCNetworkNews#SamaSamaTayoPilipino
— DZRH NEWS (@dzrhnews) November 27, 2023
LIVE: https://t.co/VZVCGMbCE8 pic.twitter.com/tyDuJllIKM
In his speech, KMU Secretary General Jerome Adonis called for a halt in the contextualization in the country.
"Ayan ang isa sa number one na violation sa freedom of association. Bakit? Paliit nang paliit ang ating kasapian sa pagu-unyon dahil technically kapag ikaw ay contractual worker, hindi kapuwedeng mag-organize o sumali sa unyon," he said.
Adonis also mentioned that President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. should junk the deadline for franchise consolidation applications under the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program.
"Libo-libong mga operator at driver ang mawawalan ng trabaho dahil dagdag na naman iyan sa walang trabaho sa bansa," he said.
The KMU Secretary-General added that Marcos should respect their rights to organize unyon.
Adonis announced that the labor groups will conduct a larger rally on Nov. 30.
He said they will march from Kalaw Avenue to the U.S. Embassy Embassy in Roxas Blvd. in Manila where they will also call for Palestine liberation.
