Senatoriables to court labor

Wages, contractualization, employment, tax break.

These are the pressing issues for Filipino workers as the celebration of Labor Day approaches, and the national elections barely two weeks away.

Workers need to know how senatorial candidates view these issues so they will know who espouses for a meaningful legislative agenda for labor.

Thus, a Workers’ Senatoriables Forum has been organized so that labor may know who their allies will be in the Upper Chamber. “We are doing this to determine which senatoriables are pro-worker and deserve our support,” said Ramon Jabar, President of the Federation of Free Workers (FFW), which is organizing the forum.

The Senatoriables Forum will be held on April 28, 2:00 p.m., at the Hotel Kimberly along Pedro Gil, Manila.

“There are 3.9 million jobless Filipinos out of the total estimated labor force which stands at 35.1 million,” added Jabar. “The figures do not even include the graduating class of 2004.”

Sen. Rodolfo “Pong” Biazon and former DENR Sec. Heherson Alvarez have so far committed to participate in the Forum.

“We don’t want demeaning jobs and non-remunerative wages. We want ‘decent work’ considering that it has been a while since the last wage increase. Employers have removed ‘security of tenure’ from their vocabulary,” lamented Jabar.

According to Jabar, Senatoriables who will express support for the worker’s cause will be invited to their Labor Day Celebration, where a covenant will be signed between the FFW and the candidates.

Some 200 local union leaders of FFW in Luzon, are expected to attend the forum. FFW is one of the largest workers’ organizations in the country, with local unions and sectoral organizations scattered nationwide.

Unlike other groups and civil society organizations, FFW has not campaigned for or against any candidate. The Forum is intended to help workers decided whom to vote for, come May.

Federation of Free Workers (FFW)
April 26, 2004