Several workers’ groups under the All Philippine Trade Unions (APTU)

criticized President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. for leaving the country for an official visit to the US where he will meet President Joe Biden for bilateral talks as they celebrated Labor Day.

Thousands of protesters marched from Espana to Mendiola on a hot morning where they held a program. Police estimated 1,500 to 2,000 took part.

They urged the government to increase wages, end contractualization, and respect their right to form workers’ unions without fearing for their lives.

“For the first time, in the first May 1, under the US-Marcos regime, he chose to talk to the Americans before Filipinos,” Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) head Elmer Labog said in a speech.

“We are not happy because he should first listen to the problems of the Filipino workers when it comes to increasing wages, work security, and respect for our rights as workers and citizens,” Labog added.

For his part, Nagkaisa Labor Coalition chairperson Sonny Matula called on the government to investigate the labor union cases.

“We have submitted 68 cases to the International Organization High Level Tripartite Mission…this should be fought for and investigated. We have a guarantee in our Constitution. The government and the security forces are ignoring this. That’s why President Marcos should be here but he is not,” Matula said.

Matula also urged the President to revise Executive Order No. 23, which creates an interagency committee that will look into labor union cases, to include workers’ groups.

In an interview with The Daily Manila Shimbun, KMU secretary general Jerome Adonis called Marcos a “runaway president”.

“We are dismayed, angry, because we have a runaway President who is Bongbong Marcos. Why did I call him a runaway? Because this May 1, the public, led by the workers, is asking for immediate relief but he has abandoned us and now he is talking to (US President Joe) Biden,” Adonis said.

“Now they are talking about having more military workers and exercises between the Philippine and American soldiers. It doesn’t even benefit the country, we just keep spending money on it when there are many other challenges that we should be facing,” he added. Jaspearl Tan/DMS