Kilusang Mayo Uno joined millions of protesters around the world in denouncing the 3-day G8 summit in Japan that will start today. 

“What a great lie for the G8 to proclaim that their top agenda is to alleviate the peoples of the world from price spikes of basic commodities. The leaders of the G8 countries and their capitalist cohorts have created and aggravated the crisis that all of us endure today,” said Elmer Labog, Kilusang Mayo Uno Chairperson. 

“Imperialists such as the G8 heads direct a world economy that ensures primarily the superprofits of big business at the expense of widespread poverty and exploitation,” added Labog, who is also the First Deputy Secretary General International League of People’s Struggle. 

He said big businesses resort to cheap labor and massive lay-offs to avoid loss of income amid the global crisis. 

“Despite the spate of price hikes, people from exploited countries are refused of substantial wage hikes. They are threatened that factories will close down, even if top corporations enjoy rising incomes.”  

Labog cited the net income of top 1,000 corporations to have increased by 327.23% from $2.3 billion in 2001 to $10 billion in 2005. 

Labog also predicts world-wide unemployment to rise due to absurd cost-cutting measures of capitalists. The International Labor Organization said earlier this year, before the onset of the severe economic crisis, that more than 5 million will be added to the 189.9 million already unemployed in the world for this year. 

“Indeed, the workers and the people’s welfare are the last priority in the summit of the international directors of the crisis,” Labog added. 

KMU joined other organizations from the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan in a picket at the Japanese Embassy at Manila this morning. ###