Labor group to work on May 1 sweeping Manila streets

MANILA, Philippines–The Philippine Trade and General Workers Organization (PTGWO), a 63-year old federation that counts among its affiliates some 100 labor unions in nearly all the local industries, will not be joining the usual Labor Day demonstrations but instead sweep Roxas Boulevard and its environs in Manila on Friday.

“The PTGWO will engage in ‘Bayanihan sa Kalinisan’ which will have around 5,000 members volunteering four hours of their time to sweep the streets with stick brooms (walis tingting). We will be donating a total of 20,000 man hours of actual work for Labor Day to the city of Manila,” PTGWO national president lawyer Arnel Z. Dolendo said.

After sweeping the place clean, the labor group will hold a program featuring invited speakers and guests from the Manila City government, Department of Labor and Employment and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority at Rajah Sulayman Park.

Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz lauded the PTGWO for choosing to help clean up the environment as one of its activities for Labor Day.

“This is a different kind of Labor Day event for the PTGWO. I believe this indicates the PTGWO’s high level of maturity in its fastidious effort to protect the welfare of workers,” Baldoz said.

“It is not that we are content with what a majority of our workers are receiving in salaries and benefits. There is so much more to be desired to uplift the welfare of our workers. It is just that we feel that there should be a different, yet far better way, of expressing it. Through Bayanihan sa Kalinisan, by being productive even on Labor Day, we feel we may be able to pierce through the moral scruples of our employers and make them realize their employees are their hardworking partners justly deserving of a tangible share of the profits they reap,” Dolendo said.