Opposition Senator Leila de Lima on Tuesday expressed her support for the labor covenant Vice President Leni Robredo has signed together with the Alliance of Labor Leaders for Leni (ALL4Leni).
De Lima said the alliance will bolster Robredo’s presidential campaign and urged the public to help defend the rights of Filipino workers by voting for candidates with genuine concern for people, particularly laborers’ plight, in the upcoming May 2022 elections.
Robredo and ALL4Leni signed the labor covenant that serves as a “vision of a Robredo presidency” on Monday Nov. 29.
The said covenant promotes advocacies such as quality jobs, providing a “living wage” incomes for the working people, social protection through public services, improving trade union and political rights, and consultation.
“Hindi man ako personal na makadalo, kasama ninyo ang buo kong suporta sa pagsusulong ng ating labor agenda at paghahangad sa pag-unlad ng kabuuang kalagayan ng ating mga manggagawa sa buong bansa (Even though I can’t personally attend, I fully support their cause for our labor agenda and their aspiration to see to the welfare of our workers in the country),” De Lima said in a statement.
De Lima also stressed the importance of resolving the problems of the country’s workforce in a balanced way but one that is favorable to the workers.
“Guguhit ang epekto niyan sa ating lahat, lalo na sa mga kababayan nating nasa laylayan at lubos na kailangan ang seguridad sa trabaho, sapat na kita, at maaasahang social services—pangunahin na ang ating mga manggagawa (There would be a trickle effect for everyone especially for our people who are poor and those who badly need better pay, job secuirty and effective social services for the workers),” she added.
De Lima pointed out Duterte miserably failed to fulfill his promise to improve labor conditions, especially his promise to end contractualization.
“Higit pang naghirap ang mga manggagawa, lalo na sa gitna ng pandemya (Our workers suffered more especially during the COVID-19 pandemic),” she pointed out.
“Nakikita natin ang bagong pag-asa para sa isang masaganang ekonomiya dahil sa nabuong pagkakaisa sa pagitan ni VP Leni at ng ating mga manggagawa ngayong araw (We can already see new hope of a robust economy with this alliance between vice president Leni and our workers),” she stressed.