ANTI-LABOR CANDIDATES NAMED

The leading senatorial candidates in commissioned surveys have also been labeled as anti-labor candidates after they ignored the Workers’ Challenge presented by various labor federations and unions.

The said questionnaire aimed to assess the candidates’ commitment to enacting key pro-labor legislation if elected to Congress—specifically, the national living wage, security of tenure, and freedom of association.

Leaders from different private and public local unions gathered yesterday at the UP School of Labor and Industrial Relations in Diliman which they reveal the names of what they called anti-labor candidates seeking legislative positions in Congress in the upcoming midterm election.

In the group’s presentation, topping the list of what they called anti-labor legislators are;

Bong Go, Erwin Tulfo, Lito Lapid, Tito Sotto, Pia Cayetano, Bato Dela Rosa, Bong Revilla, Ben Tulfo, Abby Binay, Camille Villar, Ping Lacson, Manny Pacquiao, Imee Marcos, Phillip Salvador, Benhur Abalos, Gringo Honasan, Rodante Marcoleta, Francis Tolentino, Colonel Bosita, and Jimmy Bondoc.

“This day, we have finally concluded that candidates both from the warring political factions of elite tops only in supposedly voters’ preference surveys but lacked the vision and wisdom to face workers’ legislative demands for a national living wage, ending all forms of contractualization, and the right to form unions”, Pete Pinlac, Secretary General of the biggest telecommunication union, Manggagawa sa Komunikasyon sa Pilipinas (MKP), PLDT states.

“Sa survey lang yata sila malakas, pero nang tanungin na namin kung paano nila lulunasan ang deka-dekada nang problema naming mga manggagawa ay tengang-kawali at tikum ang mga bibig sa hamon ng mga manggagawa”, Pinlac added in reference to the questions sent to each candidate prior to the Workers Challenge 2025 Candidates Reveal.

On his part, Joel Camigla of the APT Workers Union, “The challenge we workers pose to pass a law for a national living wage is not a far-fetched demand to be legislated. It is a legitimate grievance born out of the failure of the regional wage boards and Republic Act 6727 or the Wage Rationalization Act of 1989, which resulted in anti-worker provincial rates’.

Prices and fees are increasing across the board, but wage increases—implemented only in small amounts and just once in a while—are strictly regulated by the wage boards throughout the country, Camigla added.

The group also pushed for the effective implementation of workers’ constitutional rights on freedom of association and security of tenure to end contractualization.

“Laws shall be passed to ensure workers’ rights to form unions. But how could this be possible when they easily lose their jobs for being contractual workers?” bewails Gino Tolica of Pagcor, speaking and representing on behalf of unions from government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) and government financial institutions (GFIs).

Candidates who accepted the Workers Challenge were either physically or virtually present.

These included Labor Vote candidates Ka Leody De Guzman, Atty. Luke Espiritu, Jerome Adonis, lawyer Ernesto Arellano, and Atty. Sonny Matula, as well as other “senatoriables” including the Makabayan Bloc candidates, Ka Dodoy Ballon, David D’angelo. Party-lists that also accepted the workers challenge are Kamanggagawa, Health Workers, Bayan Muna, and Aksyon Dapat.

The group ended their program by chanting, KANDIDATONG DI KUMASA, I-ZERO SA BALOTA! referring to candidates who failed to answer their challenge to pass laws to protect workers.