|
PRESS
RELEASE |
|
|||
|
|
The
APL has been calling on all presidential candidates to close their
programs on how to ensure full regular employment for all workers.
"Up to now, all we hear are more of the same promises to generate
jobs. But what kind of jobs are they promising and how do they intend to
generate these jobs? These are the questions we want to be answered by all
presidential candidates," Daniel L. Edralin,
APL chairperson said. "We
are aware that GMA is promising a million new jobs a year," Edralin
said, "that is simply not enough as there are at least 1.5 million
new job seekers every year.” He added that jobs created by GMA during
her term are mostly marginal, low paying and temporary. "What we want
are decent jobs for everyone. This means regular, productive and
remunerable jobs. Not the kind of emergency jobs that GMA is currently
promoting in aid of her reelection!" Edralin
added. At
the start of the year APL raised the issue of worsening job crisis as
unemployment rate continued to increase from 11.2 percent in 2002 to 11.4
percent in 2003 despite the fact that the economy grew by 5 percent last
year. According to government statistics, there are now close to 4
million jobless Filipinos. Another 5.5 million workers are underemployed,
that is, employed but wanting more hours of work. And still, another 3
million people of working age have no jobs as its population grew by 1.7
million every year. The
GMA administration has been in power for three years but has miserably
failed in solving unemployment due to its continued adherence to an
economic model based on liberalization, deregulation and privatization.
Unrestricted importation without a strong economic infrastructure has not
only prevented job growth but had led to grave job loses to tens of
thousands of workers. Full
regular employment for everyone is possible. But it can never be attained
unless government shifts away from its flawed neo-liberal policies. As
expected, the group was dismayed with the non-appearance of K4’s
national candidates. K4 representatives who met the group could not
present a credible employment program. The
absence of full employment in K4's platform is a manifestation of a lack
of political will, or of imagination, or both, to address the burgeoning
employment crisis! This would only mean that, in the event that she wins
the elections, workers can expect nothing but more of the same problems
that they are now suffering from.
Related links |
|
||
|
|
||||
|
HOME | ABOUT APL | PRESS STATEMENTS | POSITION PAPERS | BASIC DOCUMENTS | RESOLUTIONS | AFFILIATES | LINKS |
||||
|
Alliance of
Progressive Labor (APL) 2004 |
||||
Workers
from the Alliance of Progressive Labor (APL) trooped to the K4 national
campaign headquarters in