Doy Cinco / May 2, 2009
Hindi na pinagka-abalahan ng administrasyon Arroyo ang araw ng paggawa, ang natatanging araw ng uring manggagawa, ang arawna ginugunita ng kilusang manggagawa. Kung baga, para sa Malakanyang, hindi na siya tulad ng dati na isang major player, isang malaking pwersa o banta sa seguridad ng bansa. Masakit mang aminin, mahina na, pilay na at halos wala ng pampulitikang pwersa ang kilusang paggawa sa Pilipinas. (Larawan; Al Jazeera, 
Filipino job seekers line up outside a mall during a job fair on Labour Day, [Reuters])
Ang mas pinaghahandaan at kinatatakutan ng Malakanyang sa ngayon ay ang kahihinatnan nito sa 2010 election, ang kanyang winnable na mamanukin, ang pagiging lame duck, ang independent position ng military establishment, ang political survival at ang persecution ng pamilyang Arroyo sa kasong pandarambong na kakaharapin matapos ang termino sa Hunyo, taong 2010.
Tinanong ako ng aking anak kung bakit wala ako sa May Day rally at demonstrasyon ng mga manggagawa at ang sabi ko na lang, “magmomonitor na lang ako ng mga kaganapan.“
Tulad ng inaasahan, muli na naman nanaig sa labanan ang ganid at walang awang makapangyarihang kapital kasabwat ang administrasyong Arroyo. Una ng nanawagan ang hanay ng nagosyo/Kapital na imintina’t palakasin ang regional tripartite wages, productivity board at huwag ng pag-usapan ang matagal ng inaamag na panawagang wage hike petitions ng mga manggagawa. Kinatigan din ng gubyerno na pagtibayin ang mga polisiya na magpapabilis sa pagpoproseso at mga guguguling gastusin sa pagtatayo ng negosyo at puhunan gayundin ang pagpapalakas ng domestic economy sa Pilipinas.
Sa lalim at lawak ng panawagan at kahilingan ng kilusang manggagawa, ni isang kusing wala itong napanalunan. Tanging mga non-wage benefits at hindi ang dagdag na sahod ang nailaan ng gubyerno; ang pautang sa Pag-ibig, ang Bigas at Botika ng Bayan at subsidyo para sa mga nawalan ng trabaho. Lumalabas na mas ang "konserbatibong grupo" ng Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) ang masaya at panalo ule sa labanan.
Mukhang malaki na ang ipinagbago ng kilusang manggagawa at larawan ng industriya sa Pilipinas. Nakakalungkot isiping na ano man ang ipakitang pwersa ng kilusang paggawa, lantay propaganda na lamang at wala ng impak sa pampulitikang labanan. May dalawang dekadang naghihingalo at mahina ang kilusang paggagawa at kilusang unyunismo. Malaking bilang ng manggagawa ay wala na sa kontrol ng militanteng unyunismo at kilusang paggawa.
Hindi na siya ang abanteng destakamento’t hukbong mapagpalaya kung maituring. Wala siyang mukha, mahina ang liderato at pamunan, watak-watak at kailangan ng mai-rehabilitate, umangkop sa panahon at maglagum.
Realated Story:
The Forum - March-April 2009 - (Vol 10 Issue 2)
Are Trade Unions still Relevant?: The Philippine labor movement in crisis
Alicor L. Panao
If globalization were an evolutionary period in the Philippines, then trade unions might very well be aged dinosaurs on the brink of extinction. It used to be that smokestack industries could do little without the support of labor unions. But the development of the global job market, the changing forms of labor relations, new technology and patterns of work, as well as the appearance of millions of new workers willing to work at whatever cost, have made organizing an uphill struggle for these former vanguards of workers’ rights. To make matters worse, ferocious infighting, pitiable wages for ordinary workers, declining benefits, and the rising number of informal workers cast serious doubts on the union’s ability to represent the interests of workers. Are unions, then, suffering from a crisis of relevance? And if so, are they bound to become a thing of the past? (LarawanL Prof Jorge Sibal dean of the UP School of Labor and Industrial Relations (UP SOLAIR)
“As long as there is a need to uphold social justice and equality, trade unions will be relevant,” says Prof. Jorge Sibal, dean of the UP School of Labor and Industrial Relations (UP SOLAIR). “We always have to recognize the fact that social justice developed as a concept in the workplace due to the vigilant efforts of the unions,” adds Prof. Virginia Teodosio, Sibal’s colleague at UP SOLAIR.............
1 comment:
I wish you were there during the recent labor day rally. The turnout was big. Police even estimated the entire turnout at around 35 thousand. Both lanes of Espana were both closed and clogged by the big contingent from APL/AKBAYAN and BMP/PMT.
Carriedo, Sta. Cruz were also clogged as well with PM, AK and FTLU.
I think it was one of the biggest mobilizations in a long while defeating the naive notion that the Filipino working class and its revolutionary fervor are a thing of the past.
While I do agree with you that the Filipino working clas movement is in tatters and largely in a defensive position, but so is the international labor movement. This is precisely the product of 30 years or so reign of neoliberalism. Its first and foremost intention was to smash the militant capacity of organized labor.
Also, to say that the Filipino working class has resorted to mere "propaganda" is an insult to their struggle. No way can their strikes, pickets and other concerted actions can even be described as propaganda. How about the Dusit struggle? How about the Mactan, Cebu fight?
Lastly, to say that the working class is not the advanced class that ill be instrumental in the break with capitalism is equally absurd. It is undialecical even for a non-Marxist. If that was the case, Socialism would have come to fruition even before the birth of the proletariat.
Yet, that is not the case. Have faith with the workers.
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