May First Labour Movement Centre
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| May First Labour Movement Centre | |
| Kilusang Mayo Uno | |
| Founded | May 1, 1980 |
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| Country | The Philippines |
| Key people | Elmer Labog, chairman |
| Office location | Quezon, the Philippines |
| Website | www.kilusangmayouno.org |
The Kilusang Mayo Uno, or May First Labour Movement (KMU) is a national trade union center in the Philippines. It is an alliance with hundreds of progressive labour organizations under its umbrella.
It was created on May 1, 1980 during the Marcos dictatorship to represent the progressive worker's organizations in the Philippines advocating for the National Democratic struggle - in particular the removal of what was seen as "US Imperialism". The organization also advances the need for National Industrialization where the economy shifts away from agricultural production and into light and heavy industries.
KMU leader Rolando Olalia was found murdered in November 1986, and party leaders attributed his killing to forces within the military.
Crispin Beltran, a former president of the KMU is a Congressman for the Bayan Muna party.
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[edit] Criticisms
Despite their stated goal of guarding the welfare of workers and the poor, the group has not actually generated any jobs. Their tactics often center on maintaining employment for workers as well as adding benefits. Often, the threats to a firm's sustainability by these practices are disregarded or considered overblown if not outright lies. This has led to many closures of firms and foreign investors relocating in other countries. It should be noted though that this is perhaps a good thing for the group as they consider foreign investments as a form of foreign exploitation of the local populace. However this has also led to a large, but indeterminable (due to feedback loop effects), loss of jobs.
One example has been the closure of Nestlẽ plants in the Philippines during the 1980s. A janitor could make P16,000 a month plus benefits when the minimum wage was less then P6,000 a month. Regardless the group sponsored a strike which led to the cloasure and relocation of the plant to Thailand.
They often criticize foreign companies for exploiting workers by payng them less than a similar worker in their own (often developed) country. [1]. However they fail to answer the reality that if the foreign investor did not come then the worker would not be earning anything at all. They also fail to take into account the higher cost of living in the more developed countries. In addition they disregard the fact that it is the lower wage that makes the foreign investor to come in and provide jobs because that is the country's comparative advantage.
Other criticisms include whether the increasing of worker benefits through the groups actions lead to the betterment of workers in the long run. China, a supposedly communist country, had an unofficial minimum wage of 20 Yuan in the 1980s when they started opening up. By the mid 1990s workers can expect to be paid by 200 Yuan. This 1000% increase happened with the absence of tactics or ideologies employed by the group but rather by the embrace of the capitalist system.
It remains to be seen if the group can form firms or cooperatives compatible with their socialist ideologies and capable of competing on the global stage.
[edit] Campaigns
KMU also advocates for an across the board wage increase of 125 pesos to improve the standard of living for Filipino workers.
Recently, KMU has been leading the Free Ka Bel campaign to release congressmen Crispin Beltran from Philippine police authorities
They have also an ongoing campaign to boycott Nestle whom they accuse of labor rights violations in Laguna province on Luzon island in the Philippines.
Previous campaigns include a Transportation strike in a protest against rising oil prices in 2004.
[edit] References
- (2005) ICTUR et al,: Trade Unions of the World, 6th, London, UK: John Harper Publishing. ISBN 0-9543811-5-7.
