The Alliance of Progressive Labor (APL) today held a picket at the Welcome Rotonda to call on government to scrap any more plans to force charter change before elections next year.

“We warn against any attempt to convolute charter changes at this point,” said Jun Santos, APL-NCR Vice Chairperson, “since time is obviously not on their side.”

“It never was and never will be, and the charter changes they want are so obviously self-serving that the public has no choice but to reject it,” he added.

“What we want are radical reforms in governance and economic policies redounding to the benefit of workers everywhere, not tinkering with the fundamental law of the land,” said Santos.

“We demand jobs, not elite-led realignments of the principles that our hard-fought struggles restored after years of dictatorial rule,” added the labor leader. “We want equitable and just wages, living wages that will put food on the table and send our children to school, not term extensions and more years of reign for GMA and her ilk.”

The country is beset with so much problems that taxpayers’ money should help address, and not be used to bankroll a bogus initiative that do not even reflect the common folk’s genuine aspirations, according to Santos.

“The Sigaw ng Bayan initiative should die a natural death at the Supreme Court and the con-ass proposal at the House should be dealt with the strongest opposition as possible,” said Santos. “Charter change is a dead issue that does not deserve to be revived.”

“What we need is greater transparency and accountability in government and not the same old trapos ruling it over the country with only their economic interests in mind and a mangled Constitution to legitimize their oppression over workers everywhere,” said Santos.