Arroyo retains May 1 as Labour Day

President Gloria Arroyo bowed to pressure of several labour groups and decided to revert the Labour Day back to its traditional date of May 1, instead of April 29, which she earlier ordered in an executive proclamation.

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President Gloria Arroyo bowed to pressure of several labour groups and decided to revert the Labour Day back to its traditional date of May 1, instead of April 29, which she earlier ordered in an executive proclamation.

"President Arroyo has agreed to change her previous order. The Labour Day, a non-working holiday, is finally back on May 1," said Avelino Valerio, vice-president of the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), after a meeting with Arroyo.

Meanwhile, another labour leader suffered a heart attack and was rushed to the hospital after his passionate explanation to Arroyo about the importance of May 1 to the workers groups.

Earlier, a labour leader said he would file a case against Arroyo for unilaterally changing the country's holidays. The bicameral Congress should approve such changes, the labour leader said.

Arroyo met 23 representatives of the major labour unions under the Labour Solidarity Movement, which represents more than 30 per cent of union workers.

Under Arroyo's earlier scheme, workers would lose a working day if they hold their May 1 rallies, the labour leaders argued.

Most of the collective bargaining agreements are forged on May 1. Labour Day is internationally and historically observed on May 1, they told Arroyo.

May 1 this year marks the 100th year of the labour movement, said Agriculture Secretary Leonardo Montemayor.

In an early radio programme, Arroyo said she would change her mind because many labour groups vowed to cooperate with the government.

Non union workers who make up 90 per cent of the country's labour force are happy with the original plan to transfer the non-working holiday from May 1 to April 29, argued Arroyo.

Arroyo earlier moved the Labour Day holiday to April 29 to allow the public to spend a longer weekend holiday in order to boost local tourism.

Arroyo received a lot of criticism from the opposition and militant labour groups. Meanwhile, militant Labour One Movement said they would continue with their plan to hold protest rallies on May 1 on the deterioration of the quality of their existence.

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