May First Labour Movement Centre
Encyclopedia
Kilusang Mayo Uno, or May First Labour Movement (KMU) is an independent labor center in the Philippines
promoting genuine, militant and anti-imperialist trade unionism. It follows in the fighting tradition of the country's first trade union, the Union Impresores y Litografos de Filipinas in 1892 and the Congress of Labor Organizations (CLO) of the 1950's.
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 develops agricultural production to serve as the base for 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, was a Congressman for the Bayan Muna
party.
. This campaign has been launched in 1999 and in December 2006, the House of Representatives approved House Bill 435 seeking a P125 legislated wage hike.
KMU is also leading a campaign against extrajudicial killings. Since 2001, more than 70 unionist and labor activists have been killed by death squads. The union president of Nestle
Philippines, Diosdado Fortuna was among the union leaders killed. They have also launched an international campaign against political killings and have filed a complaint to the International Labour Organization
versus the government of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
.
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, and a campaign to free the late congressman Crispin Beltran from Philippine police authorities.
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
promoting genuine, militant and anti-imperialist trade unionism. It follows in the fighting tradition of the country's first trade union, the Union Impresores y Litografos de Filipinas in 1892 and the Congress of Labor Organizations (CLO) of the 1950's.
It was created on May 1, 1980 during the Marcos
Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos, Sr. was a Filipino leader and an authoritarian President of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He was a lawyer, member of the Philippine House of Representatives and a member of the Philippine Senate...
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 develops agricultural production to serve as the base for 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
Crispin Beltran
Crispin 'Ka Bel' Beltran was a Filipino politician and a labor leader. A staunch critic of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, his imprisonment in 2006 and 2007 on disputed charges of rebellion and sedition drew international attention...
, a former president of the KMU, was a Congressman for the Bayan Muna
Bayan Muna
Bayan Muna is a leftist political party in the Philippines.The motto of the party is "New Politics, the Politics of Change", against "traditional, elitist, pro-imperialist politics". Its platform includes the advocation of a government that progressively supports the working class, with meaningful...
party.
Campaigns
KMU also advocates for an across the board wage increase of 125 pesosPhilippine peso
The peso is the currency of the Philippines. It is subdivided into 100 centavos . Before 1967, the language used on the banknotes and coins was English and so "peso" was the name used...
. This campaign has been launched in 1999 and in December 2006, the House of Representatives approved House Bill 435 seeking a P125 legislated wage hike.
KMU is also leading a campaign against extrajudicial killings. Since 2001, more than 70 unionist and labor activists have been killed by death squads. The union president of Nestle
Nestlé
Nestlé S.A. is the world's largest food and nutrition company. Founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, Nestlé originated in a 1905 merger of the Anglo-Swiss Milk Company, established in 1867 by brothers George Page and Charles Page, and Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé, founded in 1866 by Henri...
Philippines, Diosdado Fortuna was among the union leaders killed. They have also launched an international campaign against political killings and have filed a complaint to the International Labour Organization
International Labour Organization
The International Labour Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that deals with labour issues pertaining to international labour standards. Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland. Its secretariat — the people who are employed by it throughout the world — is known as the...
versus the government of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is a Filipino politician who served as the 14th President of the Philippines from 2001 to 2010, as the 12th Vice President of the Philippines from 1998 to 2001, and is currently a member of the House of Representatives representing the 2nd District of Pampanga...
.
They have also an ongoing campaign to boycott Nestle whom they accuse of labor rights violations in Laguna province on Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
island in the Philippines.
Previous campaigns include a Transportation strike in a protest against rising oil prices in 2004, and a campaign to free the late congressman Crispin Beltran from Philippine police authorities.