Students from the University of the Philippines Manila spent their Chinese New Year holiday integrating with Sumifru workers to better understand their fight against contractualization.
The workers discussed their condition and the grueling labor they had to undergo in the factories of the Sumitomo Fruit Corporation.
Some of the workers shared anecdotes of how working 12 hours a day while earning too little affected their lives.
They detailed how they were able to form a union as well as how Sumifru and the state tried to quell dissent by threatening their leaders and members, going as far as killing one of their leaders.
The integration also included an educational discussion on the role of peasants, women and the youth in fighting for a just society.
The workers now face the threat of eviction from their kampuhan in Liwasang Bonifacio but they are ready to assert their right to stay until their demands are met.
The post Where to spend a holiday? With the workers and the toiling masses appeared first on Manila Today.