Labor groups calling for wage hikes and the end of contractualization assemble along España Boulevard before marching to Mendiola and US Embassy, Manila, on May 1, 2023. INQUIRER.net / Faith Argosino
MANILA, Philippines — Workers trooped to Mendiola on Monday, May 1, to air grievances about the problems besetting the common laborer for years, such as unlivable wages and the practice of contractualization.
More than 10,000 demonstrators, including Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP), Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), and the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines, along with other workers confederation and groups gathered in Welcome Rotonda in Quezon City before marching to Mendiola Peace Arch in Manila.
The caravan of Labor Day rallies started from Welcome Rotonda, gathering with other protesters along Maceda Street and Ramon Magsaysay High School before marching to Mendiola.
Workers marched the streets of España Boulevard armed with their placards and banners, occupying the entire southbound of Manila’s main artery.
Demonstrators held placards calling for a national minimum wage of P33,000 and the end of the practice of contractualization, among other demands.
Manila Police District deployed 1,100 police personnel within the area to ensure public safety. Cops guarding the site also held placards recognizing workers’ efforts and wishing them a “Happy Labor Day.”
After their program in Mendiola, the groups marched to the US Embassy on Roxas Boulevard to protest President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s second visit to the US.
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