A short greeting and solidarity for The Pilipino Association of Workers and Im/migrants (PAWIS) for its 10th Anniversary, to be celebrated on December 19. PAWIS is a Filipino workers’ rights organization that began from a campaign for the rights of immigrant airport screeners in the early 2000s, and continues to work today with caregivers and other low-wage workers.
STP
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Enough is already known about the horrors migrant workers face, such as unsafe working conditions, non payment of salaries, wage theft or partial payment, extortionate rents for bad accomodation, exploitation, abuse and few provisions for people migrating through both regular and irregular channels.
Yet migrant workers are the lifeblood of the economy, often from bottom up. Migrant workers contribute a huge chunk to the building of wealth in wealth countries, such as the US. Human progress can’t move without you.
We can’t imagine the victories of the campaigns such as the Oakland immigrant airport workers, CA Domestic Worker Bill of Rights, and comprehensive support for low-wage Filipino immigrants and workers without your sweat. Full recognition and equal veteran’s status and dignity will not go on much longer without your affirmative action.
A decade is such an awfully short time to waste. That’s about 87,600 of making headway in the fight for the rights and welfare of Filipinos in the US, the Philippines and all over the world.
If we enjoy the fruits of your labour, we will not throw in the towel or cool down. We hope you continue to lead the people, the masses and work still better. Get even better organized and in even greater strength. So that for another decade we will ensure that we will achieve greater results to advance the people’s movement. Together, let’s continue to realize national independence, democracy, social justice and all-round development.
Anakbayan Toronto 