Trade or Labor unions in the Philippines are organizations sanctioned by Labor Code of the Philippines as an

acknowledgment of Filipino workers freedom to self-organize. Trade unions aim to promote enlightenment
among Filipino workers concerning their wages, hour of work, and other legal rights. They aim to raise awareness
on their obligations as union members and employees, as well. Moreover, they serve as legitimate entities that
negotiate with employers in policy-making with regard to terms and conditions of employment. These
negotiations formally take place in the process of Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Trade unions are granted with a right to go on a strike, a temporary stoppage of work by the employees when
there is a labor dispute. Labor disputes are defined as situation when there are controversies surrounding
negotiations and arranging of the terms and condition of employment. They also tend to held protests necessary to
call out the government or the organization with their demands and complaints. The following are some of the
instances that Labor Unions in the Philippines held protests:

1.) Members of labor coalition NAGKAISA agreed not to

attend the regular Labor Day dialogue with the President,
and instead hold a protest to mark Labor Day. According
to the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP)
spokesman, Allan Tanjusay, 25,000 workers from various
trade unions gathered at Welcome Rotonda and marched
up to Mendiola. He also said that workers had a series of
dialogues with the President in the last three years, but
nothing substantial came out of them.
He said Aquino also did not take any action on the
workers demand, and played deaf to the following:
Reduction in power rates
Certify as urgent the security of tenure bill to address the growing problem of contractualization
Higher salaries
Grant a P2,000 discount card and unemployment insurance for three million minimum wage earners
nationwide. (NAGKAISA said the government should allocate P300 million for the program.)
Return of the government subsidy for MRT and LRT users to cushion the impact of the increase in
transport fare.
Meanwhile, the Department of Labor and Employment said the Aquino government has done much to
improve the lives of workers nationwide. Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz cited the additional P10,000 tax
exemption and pay leave for women and children victims of violence as among the benefits given to workers.
2.) The labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno and its regional chapters and allies are calling for Aquinos resignation,
citing his crimes to the Filipino workers and people. According to Lito Ustarez, KMU vice president, his
crimes includes Mary Jane Velosos case, the DAP (Disbursement Acceleration Program), Yolanda.

KMU held a protest last Labor Day, wherein they

converged in five points in Metro Manila (UST at
Espaa, Quirino, Blumentritt-Avenida, Pureza along
Aurora Blvd., and Moriones in Tondo) before they
proceeded to Liwasang Bonifacio where they
concluded their Labor Day protest with a program.
The Labor Day protests were also held in the
following regions: Cordillera, Central Luzon,
Southern Tagalog, Bicol, eastern Visayas, Central
Visayas, Panay, Southern Mindanao, Socksargen,
Central Mindanao, Northern Mindanao, Western
Mindanao and Caraga.
They are complaining on how the current administration of President Aquino responds with the labor
problems in the country, and the specified complaints are the following such as:
Aquinos negligence at providing social services, the pervasiveness of low wages and joblessness,
and why Filipinos are forced to work overseas, resulting in cases like Mary Jane
Reports reaching KMU from its regional chapters say workers are being made to work for up to 12 or
14 hours a day
Bring up wages and turn the employed into non-contractuals with complete benefits
Mr. Aquino, however, assured that the other demands of labor groups like tax breaks for minimum wage
earners, job orders and security of tenure will be further discussed. Labor Secretary Rosalinda D. Baldoz
said that efforts to reduce a form of workers contractualization known as 5-5-5, 6-6-6, or endo have
borne fruit. She added that the DoLE has tightened the rules on subcontracting, cutting to a third the number
of legal subcontractors.

References:
Jaymalin, M. (2015, April 28). Workers gear up for Labor Day protest. The Philippine Star. Retrieved from
http://www.philstar.com/
Labor policy in the Philippines. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labor_policy_in_the_Philippines

November

10,

2015,

from

Salamat, M. (2015, April 30). Labor Day to be marked by protests by different workers groups. Bulalat.com.
Retrieved from http://www.bulatlat.com/