Despite Malacañang’s threats to re-impose PD1017, workers will pour out into the streets of major cities around the country to celebrate the International Labor Day and to protest the government’s dubious charter change plans.

“Malacañang’s paranoia is as great as its insecurity,” Daniel L. Edralin, APL Chairperson said. “And its insecurity is understandable. After all, this government has done nothing to earn workers’ support,” Edralin added.

Amidst respectable economic growth these past few years, workers continues to suffer from a worsening jobs crisis and declining real incomes. It did not help either that this government imposed additional tax burdens at a time when the oil prices are soaring.

“Rather than listen to our grievances, the Arroyo regime opted to preoccupy itself with preparations for rally dispersals on Labor Day,” Edralin said.

“We want regular employment not armed deployment! We demand war on poverty and joblessness, not war against the labor movement!” Edralin added.

For this reasons, the APL’s battle cry tomorrow will be, “Sigaw ng Manggagawa, trabaho, sahod, krapatan at hindi Chacha!”

APL, together with other groups belonging to the Solidarity of Unions and Labor Organizations for a New Government or SULONG will reiterate its demand for a transitional revolutionary government.

APL will mobilize in the NCR, Lipa, Cebu, Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Iligan and Zamboaga.

At 10:00 in the morning APL, together with its allied organizations like Akbayan, will assemble in Plaza Miranda where Prof. Randy David of Laban ng Masa, Representative Riza Hontiveros of Akbayan and Ronald Llamas of BISIG are expected to address the workers.

From Plaza Miranda, the APL will march to Liwasang Bonifacio to link with member organizations of SULONG.

At least 25,000 – 30,000 workers are expected to converge in Liwasang Bonifacio. From there, the workers will march to Mendiola.

“The people need jobs and decent wages not Charter Change. The workers need million jobs not million signatures for Charter change.”

These were the statements of Danny Edralin, Chairperson of the Alliance of Progressive Labor (APL) as the labor group begun preparations for the first nationally-coordinated workers’ protest action against Charter change on May 1.

“Charter change has always been a project of the elite to realign our Constitution and open up our economy to global market. We are alarmed that liberalizing our economy would further jeopardize the jobs and rights of the working class,” Edralin said.

The labor leader said that while this move is resurrected to “solve” the political crisis, the real intention of the neo-liberal economists in our government headed by Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is to purge the nationalist provisions of our Constitution that are the only remaining protection we have against massive demolition of the labor market, our natural resources and economic sovereignty.

“We have already implemented a one-sided and unilateral liberalization and this has never improved the state of employment and poverty gripping the lives of millions of our people,” said Edralin.

Figures from the National Statistics Office revealed close to 11 million workers or 30% of the 32 million strong labor force were looking for work in 2005. This number included over four million jobless Filipinos (up from three million in 1998, a recession year) and seven million underemployed workers.

The labor group is participating in today’s launch of STOP CHA-CHA that is formed to oppose the Charter change initiative of the administration.

“This government is desperately pushing for Charter change while labor continues to struggle from one economic crisis to another,” said Edralin.

Edralin said APL members will hold their Labor Day rally in Plaza Miranda before marching to Liwasang Bonifacio where other members of SULONG, the broadest labor coalition that called for the ouster of the Arroyo Regime and the establishment of a transitional revolutionary government.

APL along with other labor groups under SULONG will march to Mendiola from Liwasang Bonifacio.

We condemn and join other groups and kindred individuals in demanding the immediate resolution of the cold-blooded murder of Ka Eric Cabanit, Secretary-General of the Ugnayan ng Nagkakaisang Organisasyon sa Kanayunan (UNORKA) who was gunned down last April 24 in Panabo City, Davao.

Ka Eric was actively engaged in peasant struggles foremost of which was the lobby work for CARP coverage of the Floirendo-owned properties in the Davao Penal Colony (DAPECOL).

For the APL, it is precisely the inaction of government when it comes to extra-judicial killings that have emboldened these elements to carry out dastardly acts that now have claimed another victim. The alarm has been sounded long ago, with hundreds of activists from legal and aboveground organizations being abducted, disappearing and turning up dead, or being shot in broad daylight. In many cases, the suspects are vigilantes and military personnel.

Yet no serious effort has been observed from government. Instead, we have the likes of rabid bloodhounds like Gen. Palparan even being rewarded with promotions despite being linked to massive counts of human rights violations.

The APL is no stranger to violence, with the murder of two of its leaders actively engaged in lobbying work for urban poor communities’ rights. To this day the murder of Uldarica Prado and Myrna Navales, leaders of the Alyansa ng Maralita sa Valenzuela (AMSV), an urban poor organization affiliated with APL have not yet been solved. Just the other day, another peasant leader, Rico Aldeva of the Task Force Mapalad was also shot dead by unidentified gunmen.

The list is growing longer and longer, and the murder of Ka Eric only unmasks the increasing degree to which the GMA administration is tolerating these murders.

The failure of the government to protect its citizens from violence and violent attacks is a manifestation of its incapacity to let the rule of law prevail. Its failure to solve these dastardly killings makes it just as guilty as the assassins who murdered Ka Eric, Uldarica, Myrna, and Ka Rico.

“The government miserably failed to deliver its target of generating 1.5 million jobs annually. It is high time that we develop a full employment policy that would address the jobs crisis to address massive unemployment.”

This was the statement of Josua Mata, Secretary General of the Alliance of Progressive Labor (APL) during the Workers’ Summit on the Jobs Crisis held today as the labor groups begun their preparations for the Labor Day actions on May 1.

The summit was sponsored by the labor coalition Solidarity of Unions and Labor Organizations for a New Government (SULONG) as a response to the National Manpower Summit held by government last March 2, 2006 in Manila Hotel.

The workers defined full employment as a coherent policy aimed at providing decent work for all those who need jobs. They believe that government needs to increase the capacity of the economy to provide decent jobs for the rapidly growing skilled labor force.

Pajo Valdemor of Liga ng Manggagawa criticized the government’s Manpower Summit for failing to present a strategy that would address this need. “The summit merely justified government’s failure to address unemployment by blaming the workers’ lack of skills to meet the requirements of companies,” said Valdemor.

Department of Labor and Employment Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas earlier said there are thousands of quality jobs left unfilled due to mismatch between the skills required and the skills possessed by applicants, implying that there is no shortage of jobs in the labor market.

However, the records of the National Statistics Office indicate there were 1.3 million jobless workers who have reached college in January 2005, including 668,000 college graduates.

“High unemployment even among the relatively educated workers indicates inability of the economy to generate adequate quality jobs,” said Dave Diwa, Secretary General of Kongreso ng Pagkakaisa ng mga Manggagawa sa Pilipinas (KPMP).

According to the workers, between 2002 and 2005, an average of 789,000 jobs were generated annually, short of the 908,000 people joining the labor force every year. Higher unemployment undermines the power of workers to bargain for higher wages and demand for security of tenure.

Based on the Bureau of Labor and Employment Services (BLES) Integrated Survey, non-regular workers accounted for 26% of total employment in establishments with 20 or more workers. In 2004, there were some 628,000 non-regular workers out of a total employment of 2.4 million.

Non-regular workers include probationary, casual, contractual or project-based, and seasonal workers as well as paid apprentices or learners.

“These workers have no permanent status within the company and are victims to the rise of ‘end-of-contract’ buzzwords among employees,” explained Leody De Guzman, Chairperson of Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP).

Josua Mata said the challenge by the jobs crisis to policymakers has never been greater. “Current policy prescriptions are not producing the desired results. It is time to explore new policies,” said Mata.

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SULONG is the broadest labor coalition calling for the ouster of the Arroyo Regime and the establishment of a transitional revolutionary government. It is composed of four labor centers and 13 national unions, federations and other worker’s organizations including the Alliance of Progressive Labor (APL), Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP), Confederation of Independent Unions in the Public Sector (CIU), Kongreso ng Pagkakaisa ng mga Manggagawa sa Pilipinas (KPMP), Makabayan, Liga ng Manggagawa and Association of Genuine Labor Organizations (ANGLO).

The Alliance of Progressive Labor (APL) warned Malacañang against preventing the workers from celebrating Labor Day on May 1.

“Nothing can stop us from holding our Labor Day rallies,” said Josua Mata, APL Secretary General.

The labor group issued this statement after Presidential Chief of Staff Michael Defensor warned yesterday that Malacañang would not hesitate to reimpose a state of emergency should the May 1 rallies escalate into armed violence.

“It’s a lame excuse to prevent workers from staging massive protests on May 1. Workers will undoubtedly use May 1 to reiterate its call for the ouster of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and to present workers’ anti-Charter Change sentiments,” Mata said.

Mata said May 1 is a day for workers to express their indignation to this government. He said this President has condemned the labor sector to lurch from one crisis to the next.

APL earlier claimed that the government faces a jobs deficit of crisis proportions. The group said close to 11 million workers or 30% of the 32 million strong labor force were looking for work in 2005. This number included over four million jobless Filipinos – up from three million in 1998 that was considered a year of recession, and seven million underemployed workers.

“Defensor is clearly setting the stage for violent dispersal of marches and rallies on May 1. As far as we are concern, Labor Day is a legitimate venue for the workers to exercise their constitutional right to freedom of assembly,” said Mata.

Mata explained that May 1 is revered as the day for workers to celebrate Labor Day just as March 8 is to women.

“We are warning Malacañang against disrupting the workers celebration of May 1 as they did in the dispersal of the women’s march last March 8,” said Mata.

Mata said violent dispersal of peaceful demonstrations is a sign that Gloria Arroyo will really not listen to the demands of workers and will continue to stifle legitimate political dissent that would result to more violations of human rights.