Militants ready PNoy effigy for Labor Day

Militants are now preparing an effigy of President Benigno Aquino III as a “pit bull” in time for the observance of Labor Day this coming Tuesday. Groups led by the Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) worked on the effigy from their office in Quezon City Sunday, radio dzBB’s Paulo Santos reported. The KMU had scored the wage hikes ranging from P2 to P23 in workers’ basic wages and allowances in six regions over the weekend. In Malacañang, meanwhile, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda advised the public to wait for President Aquino's  Labor Day speech on Tuesday if there will be “good news” for laborers. “Tingnan natin sa talumpati sa May 1 (Let’s listen to his speech on May 1),” he said on government-run dzRB radio, when asked if workers can expect good news in time for Labor Day. Meanwhile, the KMU scored Aquino for being “pro-capitalist,” saying the increases approved by wage boards are an insult to workers calling for a substantial wage hike. “The Filipino workers and people will make Aquino pay for being a faithful servant of the US and a defender of big capitalists and landlords, and for inflicting greater suffering on the majority of society,” he said. “It is infuriating that while capitalists continue to rake in billions of profits from our hard work, we workers get loose change in return. We will take Aquino to task for this insult on Labor Day,” he added. KMU cited the study of militant think-tank IBON Foundation that the P125 across-the-board wage hike amounts to a mere 12-percent reduction in capitalists’ profits. “Aquino, by continuing to show his pro-capitalist stance, is adding fuel to workers’ anger at this government. More and more workers are becoming willing to join not only the Labor Day protest but succeeding protests as well,” Labog said. “It’s time that we workers take Aquino to task for his failure to alleviate our plight. We will vent our anger at Aquino for denying us any form of immediate relief from high prices,” Labog added. — LBG, GMA News