Trade unions and other progressive organizations demanded an end to trade union repression and cried for more laborer-oriented security of tenure bill.

In commemoration of Andres Bonifacio’s 156th birth anniversary, Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (SENTRO), Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, Kilusang Mayo Uno, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, Kabataan, and other multi-sectoral organizations staged a protest last November 30 in the Freedom Park.

“Kaning lihok protesta nagsilbing panawagan nga irespeto ug iduso ang katungod sa mga trabahante ug manggagawa ug ang ilahang uban pang mga issue,” Kadamay Abdul Sissay said.

The protest condemned trade union repression through union-busting, and red-tagging, and contractualization.

“Ang mga sundao muadto sa pabrika aron mag-orient against ‘communism’ but in fact, against unionism na na violation kini sa katungod sa mga trabahante,” SENTRO Regional Secretary for Mindanao Rodel P. Abenoja said.

He also emphasized the need for a “labor version” of the security of tenure bill and not of business establishments and a higher minimum wage.

“We want a fair share of the fruit of our labor,” Pepsi Cola employees and worker union president Mercedes Abucayon emphasized.

She also revealed that in her 23 years of service in the said company, she has already witnessed employees who worked for almost 30 years and just recently were regularized.

“It’s not the government who helped them. Kami nakigbisog mi. One year and a half mi na nagmartsa, ug nakipagnegotiate kay kung dili man namo na buhaton, walay mahitabo,” she said.

She also admitted that their negotiation has resulted to 88 employees being regularized.

“Give them dignity kay ang kapalista or investors dili na makalihok ug wala ta (employees). Sila advance na kayo sila’g huna-huna kung unsaon ta nila pag suppress, repress,” she added.

Although marred with doubts in the broken promise of the administration to end contractualization, she still challenged the government for the regularization of all workers in the country.

Kabataan, on the other hand, encouraged the youth to continue the fight of Andres Bonifacio against oppressive forces and forward worker’s issues, rights, and people’s struggles.

Dubbed as the Philippine Labor Day, Andres Bonifacio’s birth anniversary remains as a symbol for unionism in the country; Bonifacio being the first union leader who assembled a group against the Spanish colonizers.