Published on: Monday, May 03, 2021
By: Philstar
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Healthcare workers in the Philippines also suffer from low wages forcing many to work abroad (EPA)
MANILA: Workers from various organizations and unions staged simultaneous Labour Day protests yesterday to demand protection against the Covid-19 pandemic and aid amid the recession.
Rallying workers marched to Mendiola in Manila, in contrast to last year’s Labor Day protest action which was done virtually due to the pandemic lockdown.
National Confederation of Labour (NCL) chairman Ernesto Arellano said Filipino workers are “being attacked on all sides,” citing how their “livelihoods are being destroyed and wages depressed by employers taking advantage of the pandemic to increase their profit margins.”
On Labor Day, workers slam irresponsible Duterte government
May 1, 2021 10:38 AM PHT
Workers called out the Duterte government on Labor Day, Saturday, May 1, for being irresponsible in its pandemic response and leaving laborers to be laid off without government intervention. This irresponsible government is deadly, as so many working people are at risk of dying from the pandemic or from the poverty that COVID-19 has made worse, labor group Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (SENTRO) said in a statement on Saturday.
The recent surges in COVID-19 case in the Philippines were traced to the workplace, the ones we call economic hubs, at the same time the industries, according to Carlito Galvez Jr, chief implementer of the country s pandemic response.