The Unión Obrera Democrática Filipina (Spanish for 'Democratic Workers Union of the Philippines') was a trade union centre in the Philippines. The organization was the first modern trade union federation in the country, earlier labour 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 with 150 affiliated unions, and around 20,000 members in the Manila area. At its peak, the Union Obrera Democratica had around 150,000 members in eight provinces of Luzon.
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Founding
The organization was established on February 2, 1902, at a congress of "approximately 140 printers and lithographers" gathered at Variedades Theater in Sampaloc, Manila. Isabelo de los Reyes, or Don Belong, was elected president of the organization, whilst Hermenegildo Cruz 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 by Friedrich Engels and Los Campesinos by Errico Malatesta, as the political foundation of the movement.
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."
July 4, 1902
UOD organized a mass rally on July 4 (the Independence Day of the United States), 1902, with around 50,000 participants. The rally demanded independence for the Philippines.
August 1902 strike
The organization called for a national general strike on August 2, 1902, 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 Commercial Tobacco Factory staged a went on strike. The Union Obrera Democratica organized various walk-outs in factories in Manila and adjescent cities in support of the strike. The state authorities responded by arresting Don Belong and three other union leaders. Don Belong was sentenced to four months in jail. As a result of the strike, wages were increased in some factories. Working hours were, however, unaffected.
Gomez at the helm
Don Belong was pardoned soon after being jailed, on condition that he would not continue as a labour organizer. Cruz assembled a meeting to elected a new president of 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 ('Filipino Democratic Workers Union').
May Day 1903
In April 1903 a meeting was held in 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' 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.
Disintegration
Gomez was subsequently arrested and condemned to forced labour. Like Don Belong, he was acquitted on the condition that he left UODF. Following Gomez's defection, unions began disaffiliating from UODF. After only two years of existence, the organization collapsed. Moreover, the U.S. administration began bringing American Federation of Labor organizers to the country, trying to promote a less confrontational type of unionism (leading to the foundation of the Union del Trabajo de Filipinas).
Following its disintegration, other labor federations emerged such as the Congreso Obrero de Filipinas.