Collective Labor Movement
Encyclopedia
The Collective Labor Movement (abbreviated CLM) was a trade union
centre in the Philippines
. CLM was founded in 1938. It consisted of 76 radical and liberal trade unions. It represented a regroupment of the leftist
sectors of the Filipino trade union movement. CLM was the largest labour organization in the country in the years in the run-up to the Second World War.
Shortly after the May Day
celebrations of 1938, 25 trade union leaders met in Manila
and agreed to form the CLM as a united organization. The founding meeting of CLM was held on June 26, 1938. 3,000 workers participated in the conference. Unions represented included Katipunan ng mga Anak-Pawis sa Pilipinas, Katipunang Pambansa ng mga Magbubukid sa Pilipinas, Federacion Obrera de Filipinas, Aguman Ding Maldang Tagapagobra, National Labor Union, National Employment Council, National Labor League, Philippine Chinese Labor Federation and Federacion Obrera de Industria Tabaquera de Filipinas. The movement was inspired by the U.S. Congress of Industrial Organizations
. The platform of CLM the advocated immediate and full independence of the Philippines, exposure of racketeering union officials, support of the Social Justice program of the Filipino government.
Jose M. Nava was elected president of CLM at its founding meeting, whilst Guillermo Capadocia
became the executive secretary of the CLM. Other presidium members were Isabelo Tejada, Pedro Abad Santos
, Mateo del Castillo, Juan Feleo, Luis Taruc
, Pedro G. Castro, Antonio Paguia, Manuel Palacios, Manuel R. Joven, Mariano Ponce, Florentino Tecson, Mariano P. Balgos, Rufo Covacha, Luis Pilapil and Luis Adriano.
Soon after the foundation of CLM, right-wing trade union leaders began to condemn the organization as controlled by communists. In response to the founding of the CLM, the anti-communist trade unionists organized a convention in August 1938.
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
centre in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. CLM was founded in 1938. It consisted of 76 radical and liberal trade unions. It represented a regroupment of the leftist
Left-wing politics
In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
sectors of the Filipino trade union movement. CLM was the largest labour organization in the country in the years in the run-up to the Second World War.
Shortly after the May Day
International Workers' Day
International Workers' Day is a celebration of the international labour movement and left-wing movements. It commonly sees organized street demonstrations and marches by working people and their labour unions throughout most of the world. May 1 is a national holiday in more than 80 countries...
celebrations of 1938, 25 trade union leaders met in Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
and agreed to form the CLM as a united organization. The founding meeting of CLM was held on June 26, 1938. 3,000 workers participated in the conference. Unions represented included Katipunan ng mga Anak-Pawis sa Pilipinas, Katipunang Pambansa ng mga Magbubukid sa Pilipinas, Federacion Obrera de Filipinas, Aguman Ding Maldang Tagapagobra, National Labor Union, National Employment Council, National Labor League, Philippine Chinese Labor Federation and Federacion Obrera de Industria Tabaquera de Filipinas. The movement was inspired by the U.S. Congress of Industrial Organizations
Congress of Industrial Organizations
The Congress of Industrial Organizations, or CIO, proposed by John L. Lewis in 1932, was a federation of unions that organized workers in industrial unions in the United States and Canada from 1935 to 1955. The Taft-Hartley Act of 1947 required union leaders to swear that they were not...
. The platform of CLM the advocated immediate and full independence of the Philippines, exposure of racketeering union officials, support of the Social Justice program of the Filipino government.
Jose M. Nava was elected president of CLM at its founding meeting, whilst Guillermo Capadocia
Guillermo Capadocia
Guillermo Capadocia was a Filipino politician and labour leader. He was a prominent leader of the Communist Party in the Philippines and different labour movements. During the last one and a half years of his life he was a regional guerrilla commander of the Hukbalahap.-Early life:Capadocia was...
became the executive secretary of the CLM. Other presidium members were Isabelo Tejada, Pedro Abad Santos
Pedro Abad Santos
Pedro Abad Santos was a Filipino doctor, lawyer, Marxist and politician who later became a leader of the first of two Philippine communist rebellions from the 1930s to the 1950s.-Early years:...
, Mateo del Castillo, Juan Feleo, Luis Taruc
Luis Taruc
Luis Taruc was a Filipino political figure and communist insurgent. He was the leader of the Hukbalahap rebel group between 1942 and 1954. His involvement with the movement came after his initiation to the problems of agrarian Filipinos when he was a student in the early 1930s...
, Pedro G. Castro, Antonio Paguia, Manuel Palacios, Manuel R. Joven, Mariano Ponce, Florentino Tecson, Mariano P. Balgos, Rufo Covacha, Luis Pilapil and Luis Adriano.
Soon after the foundation of CLM, right-wing trade union leaders began to condemn the organization as controlled by communists. In response to the founding of the CLM, the anti-communist trade unionists organized a convention in August 1938.