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Press
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President
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo announced earlier the transfer of the non-working
holiday commemorating the birth of Gat Andres Bonifacio from November 30,
which falls on a Tuesday this year, to November 29, Monday through her
concept of ‘holiday economics,’ which actually aims to save employers
from paying special holiday pay on working days caught between a weekend
and a holiday and usually declared a special holiday in the past. The
Alliance of Progressive Labor deplores this move of the Arroyo government
in applying the concept even to dates that are historical landmarks in the
struggle of the working people. It is unfortunate that the government
would belittle the importance of this date on the excuse that moving the
holiday commemoration will give the workers more time with their families.
The
APL views such insult, an affront to the worker’s tradition in
commemorating the heroism of Gat Andres Bonifacio – the working class
hero and founder of Katipunan that led the Philippine revolution to its
victory to free the country from its Spanish colonizers. PGMA wants to
dampen the significant role played by the working class in the history and
rich tradition of the Filipino people in fighting against the unjust
social structures of our society by diverting public attention from the
likewise significant role played by Andres Bonifacio with whom workers can
relate and identify. The
Arroyo government is unmindful of this because at its core are the
capitalists whose interests are completely inimical and detrimental to the
working class. Just recently, the government gave mere alms to workers
through a minimal cost of living allowance adjustment in the NCR, and
lower versions on areas outside it, amidst the onslaught of the economic
crisis though the capitalists could have given more. Now, it wants to add
insult to injury by emasculating the true essence and importance of
November 30 to the working class. PGMA will be sowing confusion as to when
to venerate Bonifacio’s, and the working class’, ideals and dreams,
not only for the complete recognition of our trade union rights, but to
gain freedom from extreme poverty and foreign subjugation, as well.
The
government clearly wants to go beyond its ploy of a No Permit, No Rally
policy, and now intends to prevent the workers from exercising their right
to go out on the streets and dramatize their resentment to a social system
that continuously fails to provide them with decent jobs, adequate food,
health, education, and other social rights and benefits despite their
great contribution to the economy. With
the continuous adherence of the Arroyo government to the neo-liberal
programs of the World Trade Organization, the worsening conditions that
set aflame to the resistance during the time of Andres Bonifacio are very
much present today. It is therefore important, and necessary, for workers
to remember and continue their historic role to defend and advance the
interests of the workers and their families who constitute the majority of
the people by asserting the right to commemorate the birth anniversary of
our working class hero on his actual day of birth. Thus,
the APL demands that the President restore the regular holiday status of
November 30.
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Alliance of
Progressive Labor (APL) 2004 |
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