ALU-TUCP to back candidates with ‘heart’ for workers

Despite the early morning drizzle, members of the Associated Labor Union – Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) in Cebu convened for their annual Labor Day program at Mariner’s Court grounds in downtown Cebu City earlier today, May 1. /Rosalie Abatayo

CEBU CITY, Philippines —  Local and national candidates who champion policies for the workers’ welfare will most likely get the support of one of the largest labor unions in the country.

But lawyer Nora Analyn Demeterio-Diego, Associated Labor Union-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) regional vice president, said that the union’s national leadership is yet to finalize the list of candidates that they will support in the May 13, 2019 midterm polls.

“Let’s wait and see sa atong mga kadagkuan sa TUCP. Kana nga pangutana matubag ra na after ma finalize kung kinsa gyud ang supportahan,” Diego told CDN Digital in an interview at the sidelines of their Labor Day program in Cebu earlier today, May 1.

(Let’s wait for the decision of TUCP leaders. The question (on who will we endorse) will be answered once we are able to finalize the list of candidates that we will support.)

Diego said they are yet to determine who among the candidates have the “heart” for the workers before they will commit to support them.

“Of course, primary consideration nato nga kana nga kandidato nitan-aw sa bili sa tawo, bili sa usa ka empleyado. Mao nay pirmiro natong tan-awon kung unsa ang iyang panan-aw sa katungod sa usa ka trabahante,” Diego said.

(Of course we will look at how the candidate values a person, a worker. It is our primary consideration to look into how the candidate views the rights of ordinary workers.)

Alan Tanjusay, ALU-TUCP National spokesperson, said they will make a formal announcement of their choice of national candidates on Sunday, May 5.

However, Tanjusay said, they will leave it to their local chapters to pick the local candidates that they would wish to support.

“We hope, we hope we can endorse somebody kung naa tay makit-an nga tinuod gyud nga mobarog para sa katungod sa mga trabahante (as soon as we find candidates who would genuinely stand for the rights of the workers),” said Diego.

ALU-TUCP has over 100 member-company unions and at least 12,000 individual members in Central Visayas./dcb