Workers' resistance against the Marcos dictatorship

[3] Marcos signed many presidential decrees beneficial only to his associates,[1] while allowing for the forced relocation of indigenous peoples, decreasing workers' wages,[4] and murders of labor activists.

[6] It was also during the Marcos presidency when the practice of contractualization began,[7] enabling managements to avoid giving regular, permanent status to employees after six months of work.

Strikes were banned[8] and the government controlled trade unions,[2] leaving workers without effective protection against employers who had unfair labor practices and regulations.

[2] Furthermore, with each year under Martial Law, economic conditions deteriorated due to a large trade deficit.

[6] In this context, the material conditions of the working class was greatly in contrast to the lavish opulence of crony capitalism under of the Marcos regime.

Detail of the Wall of Remembrance at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani , showing names from the 2014 batch of Bantayog Honorees, including three labor leaders who became the first three chairmen of the trade union center Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU): Felixberto Olalia Sr., Rolando Olalia, and Crispin Beltran .