The ''Unión Obrera Democrática Filipina'' (''UOD'' or ''UODF'',
English
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Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
: Democratic Labor Union of the Philippines) was a
trade union
A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...
center in the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
. The organization was the first modern trade union federation in the country; earlier labor groups had been more of mutual aid societies and guilds. The organization had thirty-three affiliated trade unions as of 1902. In 1903 the organization counted 150 affiliated unions, with around 20,000 members in the
Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
area. At its peak, the ''Union Obrera Democratica'' had approximately 150,000 members in eight provinces of
Luzon
Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, as ...
The organization was established on February 2, 1902, at a congress of "approximately 140 printers and lithographers" gathered at Variedades Theater in
Sampaloc, Manila
Sampaloc is a district of Manila, Philippines. It is referred to as the University Belt or simply called ''“U-Belt”'' for numerous colleges and universities are found within the district such as the University of Santo Tomas, the oldest ext ...
.Melinda Tria Kerkvliet. Manila Workers Unions, 1900–1950. Quezon City: New Day, 1992, p. 7.
Isabelo de los Reyes
Isabelo de los Reyes Sr. y Florentino, also known as Don Belong (July 7, 1864 – October 10, 1938), was a prominent Filipino politician, writer, journalist, and labor activist in the 19th and 20th centuries. He was the original founder of the ...
was elected president of the organization, whilst
Hermenegildo Cruz
Hermenegildo Cruz (1880-1943) was a Filipinos, Filipino writer and trade union organizer. He was a founding member of Unión Obrera Democrática Filipina and a member of the Philippine Assembly. He became director of the Department of Labor and E ...
was elected secretary. Except for Cruz, all the elected founding officers were "rich manufacturers and employers in Manila." The founding congress adopted the principles of two books, ''Vida e Obras de Carlos Marx'' ("Life and Works of
Karl Marx
Karl Heinrich Marx (; 5 May 1818 – 14 March 1883) was a German philosopher, economist, historian, sociologist, political theorist, journalist, critic of political economy, and socialist revolutionary. His best-known titles are the 1848 ...
") by
Friedrich Engels
Friedrich Engels ( ,"Engels" '' Errico Malatesta, as the political foundation of the movement.Guevarra, Dante G. History of the Philippine Labor Movement '. Sta. Mesa, Manila: Institute of Labor & Industrial Relations, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, 1991. pp. 17–18
According to historian Melinda Tria Kerkvliet, the main goals of the organization were: "to improve working conditions through protective labor legislation; locate work for the unemployed and assist their families; provide free education for workers' children; assist sick members and those in distress; and emancipate workers through saving and related projects."
Activities
The activities of UOD centered on improving the general welfare or workers and pushing for Philippine independence from the United States. Among these were:
general strike
A general strike refers to a strike action in which participants cease all economic activity, such as working, to strengthen the bargaining position of a trade union or achieve a common social or political goal. They are organised by large co ...
on August 2, 1902, a day before the proclamation of the Philippine Independent Church, in protest of the refusal of the government to comply with the demands for increased wages for the workers. The first strike action occurred on August 9, 1902, as workers at the
Malabon
Malabon, officially the City of Malabon ( fil, Lungsod ng Malabon), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 380,522 people.
Located just nort ...
Commercial Tobacco Factory went on strike. The ''Union Obrera Democratica'' organized various walk-outs in factories in
Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
and adjacent cities in support of the strike. As a result of the strike, wages were increased in some factories. Working hours were, however, unaffected. The state authorities responded to the general strike by arresting Isabelo de los Reyes and three other union leaders on August 17, 1902. De los Reyes was sentenced to four months in jail.
Gomez at the helm
De los Reyes was pardoned soon after being jailed, on condition that he would not continue as a labor organizer. Cruz assembled a meeting to elect a new president for the organization. Dr. Dominador Gomez was elected as the new president of ''Union Obrera Democratica''. After the election of Gomez, the name of the organization was changed to ''Union Obrera Democratica Filipina'' ("Philippine Democratic Labor Union").Guevarra, Dante G. History of the Philippine Labor Movement '. Sta. Mesa, Manila: Institute of Labor & Industrial Relations, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, 1991. pp. 19–20
May Day 1903
In April 1903 a meeting was held at the Malacañan Palace between the ''Union Obrera Democratica Filipina'' leaders (including Gomez) and governor William H. Taft, in which the trade unionists demanded that May 1 be celebrated as Labor Day. No agreement was reached, as Taft and Gomez clashed verbally. Following this meeting, Gomez was labelled as a "
subversive
Subversion () refers to a process by which the values and principles of a system in place are contradicted or reversed in an attempt to transform the established social order and its structures of power, authority, hierarchy, and social norms. Sub ...
" element. Requests from the ''Union Obrera Democratica Filipina'' to organize a rally on May 1 was denied by the authorities.
In the end, UODF organized a massive anti-imperialist rally with around 100,000 participants outside the Malacañan Palace. This was the first May Day celebration in the Philippines.Oliveros, Benjie. May 1st, a History of Struggle ', in ''Bulatlat'', Vol. VI, No. 12, April 30 – May 6, 2006
Disintegration
Gomez was subsequently arrested and condemned to
forced labor
Forced labour, or unfree labour, is any work relation, especially in modern or early modern history, in which people are employed against their will with the threat of destitution, detention, violence including death, or other forms of ex ...
. Like De los Reyes, he was acquitted on the condition that he leave UODF. Following Gomez's resignation, unions began disaffiliating from UODF. Moreover, the U.S. administration began bringing
American Federation of Labor
The American Federation of Labor (A.F. of L.) was a national federation of labor unions in the United States that continues today as the AFL-CIO. It was founded in Columbus, Ohio, in 1886 by an alliance of craft unions eager to provide mutu ...
organizers to the country, trying to promote a less confrontational type of unionism (leading to the foundation of the ''
Union del Trabajo de Filipinas
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Un ...
'').Guevarra, Dante G. History of the Philippine Labor Movement '. Sta. Mesa, Manila: Institute of Labor & Industrial Relations, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, 1991. pp. 23, 25
Following its disintegration, other labor federations emerged such as the ''
Congreso Obrero de Filipinas
() is a musical band from Chile. Founded in 1969 in Quilpué, it is a highly acclaimed band with over 50 years of experience fusioning and developing Latin American music.
Began their career in the late 1960s linked to New Chilean Song movemen ...