I was mildly pleased to hear that we were to attend a convocation instead of having a class yesterday. Of course I planned to quietly slip out and spend my time in a more leisurely manner (ie. Tambay…).
The guest speaker or lecturer was the UP President, Dr Nemenzo. The topic was “The Philippine Labor Movement; A Clash of Ideas”… Yawn…
President Nemenzo talked about Marx, Lenin, the Soviet model of Communism, the Chinese model, and how the ideas driving Philippine Labor movement from the very beginning were not indigenous and should therefore be viewed from a broader perspective. I actually found the lecture interesting and rekindled a desire within me to re-read or read up on the topics discussed.
I stayed…
During the open forum I became aware of the presence of some representatives from organized labor. It was clear that most of them were not intellectually at par with those present in that convocation except for one. This guy was wearing a black shirt that read: Social Movement Unionism… He was articulte, passionate, and clearly capable of holding his own ground. He did admit at the onset that Labor / trade unions were growing weaker. Their memberships were on a decline and their influence diminishing.
Trade and Labor Unions have been weakened by their inability to adapt to new realities. Labor is no longer dominated by factory workers marching as the proletariat. These days people are employed primarily in the service and the informal sectors. This makes organizing a bit more difficult and the appeal of joining unions is waning. These are the realities of a globalizing world.
The guy made an appeal… He asked that the faculty do more research on the labor situation in the country and that the students keep an open mind and he asked for support. He asked for sympathy when they meet these same students across the bargaining table. It was true most of the students there represented management. Then it dawned on me, I was a part of management. I was a part of the system that aimed to maximize profit for the capitalist owners (ie. Stock holders) of the company.
The realities of my world may not be as dire as Marx would put it, but it still forces me to confront the reality of my situation. Am I doing what I want to do? Am I just another corporate slave cracking my whip to get other corporate slaves to perform according to the requirements of our masters. I cannot deny it, I am but a minion if the Evil Empire…
The guest speaker or lecturer was the UP President, Dr Nemenzo. The topic was “The Philippine Labor Movement; A Clash of Ideas”… Yawn…
President Nemenzo talked about Marx, Lenin, the Soviet model of Communism, the Chinese model, and how the ideas driving Philippine Labor movement from the very beginning were not indigenous and should therefore be viewed from a broader perspective. I actually found the lecture interesting and rekindled a desire within me to re-read or read up on the topics discussed.
I stayed…
During the open forum I became aware of the presence of some representatives from organized labor. It was clear that most of them were not intellectually at par with those present in that convocation except for one. This guy was wearing a black shirt that read: Social Movement Unionism… He was articulte, passionate, and clearly capable of holding his own ground. He did admit at the onset that Labor / trade unions were growing weaker. Their memberships were on a decline and their influence diminishing.
Trade and Labor Unions have been weakened by their inability to adapt to new realities. Labor is no longer dominated by factory workers marching as the proletariat. These days people are employed primarily in the service and the informal sectors. This makes organizing a bit more difficult and the appeal of joining unions is waning. These are the realities of a globalizing world.
The guy made an appeal… He asked that the faculty do more research on the labor situation in the country and that the students keep an open mind and he asked for support. He asked for sympathy when they meet these same students across the bargaining table. It was true most of the students there represented management. Then it dawned on me, I was a part of management. I was a part of the system that aimed to maximize profit for the capitalist owners (ie. Stock holders) of the company.
The realities of my world may not be as dire as Marx would put it, but it still forces me to confront the reality of my situation. Am I doing what I want to do? Am I just another corporate slave cracking my whip to get other corporate slaves to perform according to the requirements of our masters. I cannot deny it, I am but a minion if the Evil Empire…
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