APL intensifies call against Charter Change, demands for workers’ rights

The Alliance of Progressive Labor (APL) today marched to Plaza Miranda along with Akbayan and other fraternal organizations to join continuing calls against the proposed charter change espoused by the Arroyo administration.

"Workers reiterate their call today for stable jobs and decent wages against the elite-led charter change proposals to save a beleaguered GMA," said APL NCR Vice-Chair Jun Santos.

"The broader ranks of the poor and marginalized working class demand work and food," added Santos "and not the self-serving waste of taxpayers' money that is the proposed shift in the form of government."

Santos chided Arroyo for her avowed goal of industrial peace, saying, "It is an illusory objective which is also frightening at the same time because we have seen in the recent past how this administration would be too willing to enforce brutality and violence just to have its way."

"GMA through the PNP has dispersed workers' rallies and arrested labor leaders under the guise of punitive measures such as the calibrated preemptive response and Proclamation 1017," said Santos "and with no resolution in sight to workers' woes, we fear that industrial peace will come at the expense of our rights to decent wages, to organize and collectively bargain."

"Meanwhile GMA will pursue ChaCha with the end objective of merely protecting her and the interests of her cohorts in government," explained the labor leader "which is why this anti-worker ChaCha express must be stopped dead in its tracks."

"Instead of toying with the provisions of the Constitution, workers demand radical reforms that can only begin to even be discussed with GMA's ouster," said Santos, "and justice which can only be achieved by making GMA accountable for her crimes against the people."