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Filipino workers gear up for Labour Day protests, demand US$14.45 daily wage
- Labour leaders criticised Duterte for courting investment from Beijing, which they say will result in the exploitation of “cheap labour” in the country
- Since the start of the president’s tenure in 2016, there has been an influx of Chinese workers in the archipelago
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Philippine unionists have clashed with the police in a war of accusations ahead of Wednesday’s Labour Day protests in several cities, where some 100,000 demonstrators – half of whom will gather at the presidential palace in Manila – will march to demand an increase to the minimum wage, among other issues.
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The nation’s police chief, General Oscar Albayalde, warned on Monday that communist rebels could seize the opportunity to incite chaos and violence against the establishment.
Guillermo Eleazar, head of the Metro Manila Police, suggested that groups such as the New People’s Army (NPA) could even use the occasion to wage “terror attacks or other nefarious activities”.
Albayalde also said the demonstrators were causing “joblessness” by instigating workers to rally, which would discourage investments from foreign companies.
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But the Kilusang Mayo Uno (May 1st movement), also known as the KMU, accused Albayalde of stirring up fear to discourage workers from attending the rally.
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