By Jerome Aning , Dona Z. Pazzibugan - Inquirer

Labor walkouts, pickets begin today

First posted 03:05am (Mla time) April 25, 2006

LABOR groups plan to stage nationwide walkouts, pickets and other forms of protests today at the start of pre-Labor Day activities to push for higher wages in anticipation of the "domino effect" of rising oil prices on basic commodities.

Kilusang Mayo Uno (May First Movement) chair Elmer Labog said factory workers from around 50 companies in Pasig City, Valenzuela City and other areas in Metro Manila and nearby industrial belts will join the
protests.

He said workers at Manila's North Harbor will also stop working for two hours while urban poor groups from various communities will conduct local assemblies.

Workers from Central and Southern Luzon industrial enclaves as well as
cities in Bicol, Cebu, Panay and Mindanao will also hold factory-based
protests and picket offices of the Department of Labor, Labog said.

"Ordinary Filipino workers and consumers cannot absorb the domino effect of the surging prices of local petroleum products," he said at a forum in Manila's Philippine Christian University. "Oil companies and businesses are expected to pass on the high oil prices to consumers in the form of additional market prices of almost all consumer goods."

He noted that the minimum wage in Metro Manila was still pegged at P275, far below the estimated P690 daily cost of living for a family of six.

"Our demand for P125 across-the-board, across-the-county wage hike is therefore very justified at this time," Labog added.

Also yesterday, the Alliance of Progressive Labor warned Malacañang against suppressing planned May Day activities.

"We will hold the traditional Labor Day march and any untoward violence will not come from the workers' line," said Josua Mata, APL secretary general.

Mata was reacting to Presidential Chief of Staff Michael Defensor's warning that the government would not hesitate to re-impose a state of emergency should the May 1 rallies turn violent.

"It's a lame excuse to prevent massive protests on May 1 that the workers will undoubtedly use as the most opportune time to call for President [Gloria] Macapagal-Arroyo's resignation and present anti-Charter change sentiments," Mata said.

KMU spokesperson Prestoline Suyat allayed fears that the May 1 protests would be violent.

"You won't make trouble in your own birthday celebration," he said.
"Malacañang is just fooling the people in saying that the Labor Day
protests would be violent."

"We are warning Malacañang against disrupting the workers celebration of May 1 as they did in the dispersal of the women's march last March 8," said Mata.

Meanwhile, a military spokesperson said yesterday that all units had been placed on alert to prevent rogue soldiers from using the May Day rallies to mount another attempt to topple Ms Arroyo.

Citing an alleged plot by military and communist rebels dubbed "Oplan 4G," a spokesperson said military units had been told to prepare for any "eventualities" during the May Day observance.

"Oplan 4G" was mentioned in documents the military claims to have recovered from escaped Oakwood mutineer Army 1Lt. Lawrence San Juan when he was re-captured last Feb. 21.

The documents supposedly call for organizing anti-Arroyo rallies with 200,000 to 500,000 participants culminating on May 1 when an armed component would join the rallyists.

"The Chief of Staff has directed all units to remain vigilant and to prepare for that. We have to make sure the AFP [Armed Forces of the Philippines] is prepared for any eventuality for May 1 based on the plan stated in the document," said Lt. Commodore Earl Pabalan, deputy chief of the AFP's public information office.

"These are not preparations against civilians or groups that will stage mass actions. This is to ensure those who are not part of mass actions will freely go through their activities," he said.

At the same time, however, he downplayed the capability of rebel troops to mount a coup.

"We are confident those who planned to withdraw support have already been identified. As far as the AFP is concerned, we would not experience another [scenario] similar to that last Feb. 24," Pabalan
said. With Jerald Uy