Jobs deficit to bring GMA down

The Alliance of Progressive Labor today joined in mass demonstrations to challenge GMA's version of the State of the Nation Adress, denouncing the Arroyo administration's inability to create jobs.

"With a growing labor force population now at 35.2 million, this administration is still in denial as to just how grave the jobs deficit is," said APL Secretary-General Josua Mata. "Instead of protecting our industries, it is trading them away through the WTO and continued adherence to liberalization and deregulation."

"As a matter of fact, the latest Labor Force Survey of January 2006 revealed that of the country's workforce, 8.1% is unemployed and 21.3% is underemployed," explained Mata. "The underemployed rate is up dramatically from 16.1% a year ago -- workers aren't picky when it comes to jobs, they are stuck with what little jobs there are around!"

"To augment the havoc wreaked by her free trade doctrines, GMA would rather promote industries that have no value-added in terms of national industrialization, such as call-centers and other outsourcing work," added the labor leader, "and job fairs that offer contractual work in which turn-overs are obscenely quick and pay is disgustingly low."

Also from the LF participation survey, it was noted that the agriculture, fishery and forestry sector posted the highest increase in employment at 475 thousand. Employment in this sector grew by 4.2%, from 11.4 million in January 2005 to 11.8 million in January this year.

"It is in this sector that government should focus its efforts. Only in an adequately protected and supported domestic economy can a better future be provided for Filipino workers," said Mata, "instead of driving them out as OFWs and putting them in harm's way."

"But this administration cannot adequately respond to workers' concerns, as evidenced in particular by the NCR wage board decision to grant a measly P25 wage increase," added Mata, "because it is deeply mired in one controversy after another with its very legitimacy continuing to be in doubt."

For the labor leader, the jobs deficit will nto be solved under GMA. "Under an administration whose overriding concern is staying in power, the pressure is there to rely more on big business and capitalists for concessions, instead of upholding the Constitutional clauses on social justice and labor rights."

According to Mata, "GMA has swept these fundamental principles in the highest law of the land under the rug, and seemed to have chosen to rely heavily on her military lapdogs instead to go out and hunt, threaten and kill any ang all who oppose her."

"It is this deadly concoction of violence perpetrated against activists and civilians, the pathetic programs in place attempting jobs creation, and continued pursuit of neoliberal economics that makes the GMA administration stink to high heavens," he added, "and it is past the time to end it!"

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