Migrante Melbourne, PASA and Gabriela Australia participated in

2008 Mayday activities

 

 

The Mayday activities in Melbourne, Australia started with a film showing and discussion on the evening of Tuesday, 29th April.  The discussion centered on the imperialist aggression by United States and member countries of the “Coalition of the willing” on Iraq, after showing a documentary film entitled “The missing Iraqi billions”.

 

On Wednesday, 1st of May, the chairperson of Migrante Melbourne, George and the co-chairperson of Philippines Australia Solidarity Association, May were guests on a one hour radio program of 3CR especial Mayday broadcast.  The whole one hour program was allocated on Philippine issues highlighting the ongoing political repression, human rights violation, workers situation including the continuous blocking of the P125.00 wage increase demand, the current economic and food crises, the situation of Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), the massive graft and corruption, and a bit of Philippine geography and Philippine history.

 

After the radio program, there was a wreath laying ceremony commemorating the workers’ struggles in the past years.  In the ceremony, the gains and wins of workers struggles as well as the pains and loses were mentioned.

 

On the evening of the same day, May 1 there was the traditional Mayday multicultural event where speeches and performances from different ethnic groups were featured.  Migrante Melbourne men danced the “Maglalatik” a Filipino folkdance of tribal wars. A Lebanese traditional band played several songs and a Greek folksinger rendered various progressive songs. Anne Taylor, the President of  Victorian Trades Hall council talked about the ongoing fight to repeal the work choices implemented by the past Howard government and pressure the new Labor government to meet its promises before the election. David Spratt of the Victorian Peace Network talked about the current environmental crises and the fast rate of global warming.

 

The highlight of the Mayday activities was the Mayday rally on Sunday, the 4th of May.  In Melbourne, May 1 is not a holiday like in other Australian states and other countries. To enable workers to join the mayday march, the march is always held on the first Sunday of May.  Different groups participated in the festivities which included displays and various stalls from different groups, a march, speeches, a mayday tea and a concert and community singing. 

 

PASA and Migrante Melbourne put up a stall with various reports and reading materials including the report by Karapatan on the Human rights situation in the Philippines, the report by KMU on the recent Sigtur conference in India, the statement by Prof Jose Maria Sison on the 35th anniversary of the NDFP, the latest issue of Migrante Melbourne’s “Batingaw” and many others.

 

The whole day commemoration ended with the whole community singing “The International” led by the Tasmanian Trades Hall and the Victorian Trades Hall choirs.

 

 

Mabalos,

 

May Kotsakis