PH Labor Day protests set

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Militant workers are set to hold mass actions Wednesday, as the country commemorates Labor Day.

In an advisory, the Kilusang Mayo Uno-National Capital Region said it would lead hundreds of its members and other groups in a march to the United States Embassy along Roxas Boulevard in Manila in a bid to symbolize “workers continuing struggle against the hegemony of the US imperialism.”

The group will assemble along Welcome Rotonda; Buendia, Makati; Blumentritt-Avendia; Moriones, Tondo; and Stop N Shop.

At 12 noon, KMU-NCR said Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle will lead a mass at Quiapo Church for workers.

A protest program will follow from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., before the workers march. to Mendiola where an effigy will be burned around 5 p.m.

In a statement, the group said they condemned President Benigno Aquino III for the “use of non-wage benefits, which come from workers’ taxes and premium contributions, to try to cover up his strong opposition to a wage hike.”

They also condemn President Aquino “for taking advantage of chronic unemployment to try to blackmail workers into accepting starvation wages, contractual employment, and violations of trade-union rights.”

A radio report, meanwhile, said members of the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines, or TUCP, would march to Mendiola to converge with other rally groups later this day.

It said the Pinag-Isang Samahan ng Tsuper at Operators Nationwide, or Piston, would converge in Cubao, meet up with the rest of the worker groups at Liwasang Bonifacio before marching to Mendiola.

Chief Superintendent Generoso Cerbo Jr. said the National Capital Region Police Office and other police units will conduct security operations, civil disturbance management, and traffic management operations from Tuesday until Thursday.

He also said PNP’s National Headquarters has directed Police Regional Offices 1, 2, 3, 4A, 5 and Cordillera to send 200 personnel each as augmentation for NCRPO.

Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) announced that its Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program, or the number coding scheme, is lifted today. Wednesday, in the whole of Metro Manila.

Vehicles with plate numbers ending in 5 and 6 are not allowed in major thoroughfares from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesdays.