This story
was taken from Bulatlat, the Philippines's alternative weekly
newsmagazine (www.bulatlat.com, www.bulatlat.net, www.bulatlat.org).
Vol. VII, No. 12, April 29-May 5, 2007
Analysis
A Day for Workers The
run-up to this year's May 2007 elections threatens to foreshadow this year's May
Day for workers. But this should not be so.
BY BENJIE OLIVEROS The run-up to this year's May
2007 elections threatens to foreshadow this year's May Day for workers. But
this should not be so. For one, May 1 is an
international event. An international gathering of workers in Paris on July 14,
1889 decided to declare May 1, 1890 as an international day of protest by
workers for an eight-hour workday. But that was not the first May
Day protest action. The first May Day strike was staged by workers in Chicago
to fight for an eight-hour workday. As an offshoot, the workers held another
protest action at Haymarket Square on May 4 or the day after Chicago police
brutally attacked striking workers of McCormick Reaper Works where six workers
were killed and many wounded. The protest action was peaceful and was about to
be concluded when the police again attacked the assembled workers. A bomb was
thrown into the crowd and a police sergeant was killed. A battle ensued
resulting in the death of seven policemen and four workers. Four labor leaders
were charged with the bombing and were subsequently hanged even if there was no
evidence linking them to the bomber. More workers were imprisoned.
From 1890 onwards, the May Day
protest action of workers took on a political character with issues such as
universal suffrage, freedom of assembly, colonial and neo-colonial oppression,
freedom for political prisoners, government repression, wars of aggression, and
recently globalization being raised. May Day has also been an occasion to call
for and demonstrate workers' solidarity. Second, the May elections
should supposedly address the plight of Filipino workers. But senatorial
candidates seem to be silent on issues affecting workers. What is their position
regarding the just demand of workers for a legislated wage increase? If elected,
what will they do to protect job security and put a stop to the practice of
hiring workers as "contractuals," or under labor-only contracting, and
sub-contracting? Will they work for the repeal of anti-labor laws such as the
assumption of jurisdiction of strikes by the Department of Labor, the Herrera
law which extended the period of collective bargaining agreements from three to
five years, among others? Third, the issues being raised
by workers during the latter part of the 19th century such as the
long working hours, attacks on the right of workers to unionize and strike, poor
working conditions, and slave wages are very much relevant today as it was
before, especially to workers of backward countries such as the Philippines.
Elections have been held
regularly in the country since 1946, except during Martial Law. Different presidents, senators, representatives, and local officials
had been elected and had assumed office. But the conditions of Filipino workers
have only worsened. In fact, millions of workers and professionals alike had
been forced to leave the country to seek gainful employment abroad. Workers,
farmers, and low-paid professionals constitute the majority of the population of
the country. If their conditions continue to turn for the worse year after
year, the cause for celebrating May Day will continue to be to fight for
workers' rights and for a greater solidarity and empowerment of the toiling
masses. Bulatlat © 2007 Bulatlat
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