More labour groups to support Poe

The labour sector particularly the militant groups are likely to support the candidacy of Coalition of Nationally United Filipinos (KNP) presidential bet and action star Fernando Poe Jr, influenced in a big way by Vice President Teofisto Guingona.

In a recent meeting with labour leaders, Guingona said he would use his influence as policy adviser to include the demands of labour in his campaign platform that includes a P65 ($1.18) wage increase and an end to contractual hiring in government positions and subcontracting in the private sector.

Guingona said the P65 wage increase was a 'recovery, and not an increase' because of the depreciation of the peso, inflation and other recent economic reversals that has made lives of Filipino harder under the present circumstances.

The May First Movement (KMU), one of the major leftist labour organisations in the country, mobilised hundreds of thousands of workers nationwide for the May 1 rally. Furthermore, the KMU said it would press for wage hikes, decent jobs, rollback of fuel prices, decent housing and cheap affordable services.

Sons of the People and Labour Party, two workers‚ groups vying for seats in Congress as party list organisations, also conducted their own mass actions in separate places.

Despite the differences in their analyses on figures and computations, the two groups are united in the demand for a wage hike to offset the increase in the prices of basic goods.

Labour Party representative Renato Magtubo said the Presidential Palace's 'outright rejection' of any demand for a wage increase had reinforced their conviction to pursue their demand for a wage increase.

At the same time, the KNP has called on Filipino workers to 'fire Gloria Arroyo from her job' for failing to uplift the welfare of the workingman, create jobs and for bringing the country to the brink of economic collapse.

"To save our country and for the sake of our children, Arroyo must join the ranks of the unemployed. As her employer, we have the power to do it by refusing to renew her job contract," the KNP said.

The KNP stressed that Arroyo's lacklustre performance is a valid reason to vote Arroyo out of office. "Her performance in office is clearly below par and she acted against the national good on countless occasions."

The KNP accused Arroyo of forgetting governance and instead of focusing all her time and energies to get a second term.

Meanwhile, President Arroyo said the achievements of her administration were worth celebrating Labour Day. "We can celebrate the 1.1 million jobs that I created every year (for the last three years. We should celebrate the 29 pc increase in minimum wage during my presidency," said Arroyo.