Defend Jobs PH launches search for pro labor poll bets
WITH almost a year before a new president is elected, labor group Defend Jobs Philippines Friday revived its campaign to look for candidates who will uphold and implement platforms, programs and policies for the Filipino workers in the upcoming 2022 presidential elections.
Dubbed as “#LaborVote2022: The Filipino Workers in the 2022 Presidential Elections,” the group said that this year-long campaign aims to educate workers and amplify their just demands for the upcoming 2022 national and local polls.
A similar campaign was successfully launched by the group in 2019.
Christian Lloyd Magsoy, Defend Jobs Philippines spokesperson, said the #LaborVote2022 campaign “will also seek national and local candidates who have track records and clear feasible platforms and programs for the numerous plights and agenda of our working class and will come up with a “Labor Agenda 2022” that will culminate in a signing of a covenant and endorsement of “Pro-Labor Candidates” from the national to local posts.
“Majority of the Philippine voting population in the upcoming May 2022 national elections belongs to our Filipino working class here and abroad. Over the past election seasons, issues of our toiling people were consistently used in campaign slogans and publicity stunts of every candidates and political parties,” said Magsoy.
“Elections have passed and yet promises for better labor environment remained promises, as our expectant working people and their families remained poor and were living on more miserable lives due to the loads of anti-labor and anti-people policies enacted by the same politicians they elected,” he added.
Defend Jobs Philippines said that of the almost 63,665,923 registered voters in the May 2019 midterm polls, 39,379,000 Filipinos belonged to our labor force, according to the 2020 labor Philippine Labor Force Survey data of the Philippine Statistics Authority.
“The solid and huge Philippine labor vote is set to use the electoral platform to raise their issues, send their messages across and pick genuine pro-labor candidates who can truly address and resolve their long-drawn democratic and legitimate aspirations for jobs, wages and labor rights,” said Magsoy.
The #LaborVote2022 campaign is set to conduct talks with political aspirants in various levels; researches on the track record and platforms of candidates; labor consultation and townhall meetings; voters education caravan in different parts of the country through the Labor Vote buses; releases of statements and information campaign materials; crafting and signing of the Labor Agenda 2022 with candidates; up to the endorsements of deserving pro-labor candidates slate on May 1, 2022 in time for International Labor Day and days before the 2022 elections.
“The search is now on for pro-labor candidates but it will not stop just during the campaign. We will ensure that their promises for the Filipino workers will not just be words of mouth and must be translated to actual and concrete actions for the Filipino working class as they got elected in power,” ended Magsoy.
