As of April 2024
Monday, April 1, 2024
Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Wage clustering is better than regionalization but one national minimum wage is best
According
to Partido Manggagawa (PM), the proposal of Representative Joel R. Chua (3rd
District of Manila) to replace the current wage regionalization scheme with a
wage clustering system is welcome in the sense that it founded on a recognition
of the failures of the existing wage fixing system and thus opens a window for
a discussion of a better mechanism. “Wage clustering is better than
regionalization but one national minimum wage is best,” Rene Magtubo, PM
national chair, explained.
He
added that “We agree, as Rep. Chua asserts, that wage regionalization has led a
huge gap between wages of regions that are not substantiated by differences in
cost of living, and also has led to complexity in implementation as the DOLE
has to monitor almost 50 minimum wages across the country.”
For
this reason, PM is pushing for a national minimum wage as a floor. Differences
between actual wages should be based on seniority, skills and productivity,
according to the group.
“Also,
while we insist that a replacement to the wage regionalization mechanism is
also overdue, let us not lose sight of the immediate demand for a P150
across-the-board legislated wage recovery,” Magtubo emphasized.
PM
is advocating for an “Apat na Dapat” in regard to the wage issue at the moment:
1.
Php 150 across the board wage increase to recover wage loss due to inflation
(immediate);
2.
Non-wage benefits to enhance take home pay (for example: suspension of
Philhealth contributions, reduction in withholding taxes for fixed income
earners, social security subsidies, etc.);
3.
Review and amend RA 6727 with the end in view of having uniform wage rates and
satisfying the constitutional mandate of granting workers a living wage;
4. Enhance wage and benefits setting through collective bargaining negotiations by implementing the recommendations of the International Labour Organization’s High-Level Tripartite Mission so that workers can exercise freedom of association without harassment and intimidations, and unwarranted regulations.
Tuesday, March 12, 2024
MEDIA ADVISORY: Anti-mining rally at Batasan tomorrow
ALYANSA TIGIL MINA (ATM)
invites you to a
CREATIVE ACTION
Pagkaswapang ng Minahan, Wakasan!
Pagkamkam ng Kapangyarihan, Pigilan!
Unahin Tao at Kalikasan, ChaCha Ibasura!
Wednesday, March 13, 2024
9:00 AM – Assembly at Kasayahan St. cor Batasan Road
9:30 AM – March to South Gate of Batasang Pambansa
Important Note: The Program is targeted to be at South Gate
of Batasang Pambansa. But, in case of dispersal, the contingent will proceed to
the North Gate and hold the program there.
Various groups led by Alyansa Tigil Mina will march to the
Batasang Pambansa to demand a stop to destructive mining operations and a
rejection of proposals to change the 1987 Constitution.
Specifically, the groups will denounce the machinations of
House Speaker Martin Romualdez to amend the charter and serve his vested
interests as they charge him of amassing wealth through his and his family’s
mining companies.
Media coverage is requested.
Contact person:
Andrew Palangdao – +63 920 9845702
Friday, March 8, 2024
It takes decades for pro-women laws to get Congress’ nod compared to only 2 weeks for RBH 7
Haste doesn’t just make
waste; it also bears a dubious agenda. This is according to women leaders in
the labor movement who are celebrating International Women’s Day today.
Partido Manggagawa (PM)
Secretary General Judy Ann Miranda, said they were referring to the Resolution
of Both Houses No. 7 (RBH 7) that was swiftly approved by the House of
Representatives’ Committee of the Whole with only six days of marathon hearing.
In an earlier statement,
Miranda said the lightning approval of RBH 7 “is equivalent to a political hack
which is unthinkable for a huge political body known for being laggard and
protracted in its lawmaking process, especially when it comes to women and
other social development agenda.”
Miranda cited as an example
the lengthy years of enacting the reproductive health bill, which took 14
years, and now the proposed divorce law, as well as the right to safe and
affordable abortion even for special cases, may even take longer. The same
is true, she added, when it comes to the proposed wage hike as the last act of
Congress in legislating the wage hike was in 1989.
Photos of women’s rallies yesterday that includes demands against charter change and for public services can be accessed at PM FB: https://www.facebook.com/partidomanggagawa/
08 March 2024
Thursday, March 7, 2024
The biggest hack is amending the Constitution via RBH 6 and 7 – Partido Manggagawa
Filipinos may have kept guard protecting their Facebook
accounts from possible hacking, a day after Meta confirmed there was a global
outage in its system. What we failed to prevent, however, was the biggest
political hack when the House of Representatives’ Committee of the Whole passed
Resolution of Both Houses No. 7 (RBH7) Wednesday.
Partido Manggagawa (PM) Secretary General Judy Ann Miranda,
said the haste in approving RBH 7 at the House of Representatives, “Is
equivalent to a political hack which is unthinkable for a huge political body
known for being laggard and protracted in its lawmaking process, especially
when it comes to important social development agenda.”
Miranda cited as an example the lengthy years of enacting
the reproductive health bill, which took 14 years, and now on the proposed
divorce law, and right to safe and affordable abortion even for special
cases.
“Kapag para sa kababaihan, history book ang trato sa amin ng
mga mambabatas. Pero kapag charter change para sa dayuhan, para silang
Facebook, Twitter, o Tiktok sa pabilisang gumalaw,” lamented Miranda, as PM
joined protest actions in the Senate with the World March of Women, and in
Manila with In Defense of Human Rights and Dignity (iDefend) Movement, which is
all part of the celebration of the International Women’s Day.
The same is true, she added, when it comes to the proposed
wage hike legislation, with the last legislated wage hike enacted by Congress
was in 1989. “When it comes to another agenda like charter change, which is an
alien concern to most Filipinos, our lawmakers get fast and furious.”
Like RBH 6 now pending before the Senate, RBH 7 proposes to
amend several economic provisions in the 1987 Constitution, particularly on
areas covering public services, education, advertising, and land ownership,
among others.
Once approved separately by both houses through a ¾ vote,
the “unless otherwise provided by law” shall be added to all the sections under
several articles of the Constitution that Congress so decides to be amended,
particularly Article XII (Section 11), Article XIV (paragraph 2 of Section 4),
and Article XVI (paragraph 2 of Section 11).
But Mirada emphasized, “changing those sections and articles of the Constitution won’t alter the age-old problems of poverty and discrimination confronting women today, which are more of an outcome of society’s capitalistic structure where social wealth is appropriated among the tiny few while governance is run under a dynastic political rule.”
07 March 2024
Wednesday, March 6, 2024
PM Stands with Senator Risa Hontiveros Against Vilification by Quiboloy Camp
Partido
Manggagawa stands with Senator Risa Hontiveros against the malicious attacks
orchestrated by the Quiboloy camp, as the Committee on Women and Children
resumed its public hearing yesterday on the latter’s alleged criminal offenses.
The
group asserts that the arrest of Quiboloy is a fitting commemoration of women's
month. Tomorrow women members of Partido Manggagawa are joining two mass
actions; at the Senate in the morning and at Mehan Garden in the afternoon.
Senator
Risa hoped that the man at the center of the controversy finally submits under
the jurisdiction of the Senate for investigation, in aid of legislation.
Quibuloy failed to show up again, prompting the committee to finally issue a
warrant of arrest against the self-appointed son of god.
But in a
bid to defend himself in absentia, Quibuloy sent his followers to the Senate
yesterday to demand Senator Risa's resignation instead. His followers claim to
seek justice for what they perceive as unjust treatment of their leader by both
the US and Philippine governments. Yet, Quibuloy himself conveniently avoids
facing the same demands for justice within his own kingdom. In retaliation, he
stoops to vilifying the individual who dares to subject him to public
scrutiny.
Here he
crossed the line long held and defended by the women’s movement.
Targeting
a champion of women's and children's rights like Senator Risa Hontiveros is an
affront to all women. It is deeply concerning to witness a cult leader, who
shirks accountability for his crimes by hiding in the shadows, manipulating his
female followers to shield him from scrutiny, and tarnishing the reputation of
a prominent female leader. This behavior exposes him for what he truly is: an
incorrigible male supremacist.
Senator Risa may stand as the lone woman in the Senate on this contentious issue of justice, but she stands fortified by the unwavering support from grassroots women across the nation. United in solidarity, this battle is already won, with or without Quibuloy's human body landing in jail.
06 March 2024
Media Advisory: Pre-International Women's Day 2024 Mass actions today
Media Advisory
Pre-International
Women's Day 2024 Events
Women's groups to
mobilize for two actions
What: Over 300
grassroots women from national organizations under the umbrella of the World
March of Women - Pilipinas will march to the Senate building
When: March 7, 2024 (Today),
9:00 AM
Where: From Film Center to Senate Building
Details:
Carrying the theme "Kababaihan: Ayaw sa Charter Change
na Maka Dayuhan at Maka-Trapo!," the grassroots feminists will push
strongly to stop Cha-Cha initiatives by the traditional politicians
Clad in purple shirts, will march, hold a program and
perform a "counter-ChaCha dance"
Contact Person: Jean Enriquez 09778105326
What: Members of In Defense of Human Rights and Dignity
Movement (iDefend) will hold a public action
When: March 7, 2024 (Today), 4:00 PM
Where: Mehan Garden Bonifacio Revolution Shrine near Manila
City Hall
Details:
Women's groups will highlight the economic crises facing
Filipino women today, including the food and fuel inflation, insufficient wages
and the continuing violence of the government's war on drugs and war on terror.
Participants will express a condemnation of Congress' moves to change the
Constitution, instead of focusing on the dire socio-economic situation of the
people.
As a photo opportunity, participants will mirror the
Bonifacio monument in a tableau of women- mothers, workers, urban poor,
indigenous, farmers, fisherfolk, students- struggling to survive and thrive in
the current challenging socio-political and economic environment.
Opportunities will also be available for interviewing of
women leaders.
Contact Person: Niza Concepcion 09395677987
Wednesday, February 28, 2024
PRESS RELEASE: When the lives of workers improve, the entire economy will also improve – Nagkaisa!
In the ongoing hearing today regarding the legislated wage
hike in the Lower House of Congress, members of the Nagkaisa! Labor Coalition
urged lawmakers to prioritize the demands of workers for a P150 or higher wage
increase, instead of yielding to the threats of employers that it will destroy
the economy.
The group reminded lawmakers of the provision in the
Constitution stating the "primacy of labor over capital" as a guiding
principle in deciding on this contentious issue. They pointed out that for over
three decades, employers have persistently opposed it, while the minimum wage
of workers remained below the poverty line.
The group stated this position while staging a protest in
front of the Batasan complex, along with the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines
(TUCP), Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), Federation of Free Workers (FFW), Sentro ng
Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (SENTRO), Kapatiran ng mga Unyon at
Samahang Manggagawa (KAPATIRAN), Marikina Workers Alliance, National Federation
of Labor (NFL), Partido Manggagawa (PM), TESEF, and Unified Filipino Service
Workers (UFSW).
But before the protest could even start, the police
dispersed them away from the Batasan gate and blocked their return, led by
Precinct 6 commander, Col. Castillo. The labor groups condemned the actions of
the police, stating that this was the second time they had done so, the first
being against the youth just two weeks prior.
They called on the leadership of the PNP and Mayor Joy
Belmonte to stop the police abuse at the Batasan, as it shows a lack of respect
for freedom of expression and freedom of assembly.
The group asserted further that their petition for wage
increase is not anti-MSME or anti-business because any additional income in the
pockets of workers is returned to the economy through consumption in small
businesses, compared to the huge profits of businesses that only go towards
extravagant expenses of capital owners.
NAGKAISA! also mentioned that the economy of workers relies
solely on wages, so while most survive in the formal sector and self-reliance
in the informal economy, a wage increase has a more positive impact on the
entire economy compared to if the majority of workers remain impoverished.
They noted that the highest minimum wage of P610 here in NCR
has a real value lower than the national poverty line of P13,797 in 2023.
Aside from the wage increase in the private sector,
NAGKAISA! supports a separate proposal for a wage hike for public sector
employees.
NAGKAISA! also seeks to reform the wage-setting system in
the country through legislation because for the past 35 years under RA6727 and
regional wage boards, the majority of workers in the country have remained
poor, which goes against the Constitution's mandate for the right to a living
wage and a rising standard of living for their families.
February 28, 2024
NAGKAISA! Labor Coalition
Tuesday, February 27, 2024
MEDIA ADVISORY: PICKET FOR WAGE HIKE @ BATASAN TOM
MEDIA ADVISORY
Request for coverage
NAGKAISA! Labor Coalition
27 February 2024
PICKET FOR WAGE HIKE @ BATASAN
Members of the House Committee on Labor and Employment will
start deliberating on bills seeking legislated wage hike tomorrow. NAGKAISA
leaders will attend the hearing, while coalition members will be with labor
groups for a joint action outside the House of Representatives.
WHEN: February 28, 2024
TIME: 8:30 AM
WHERE: South Wing Gate of the Batasan Complex
Photo ops available
----------------
For details/queries you may contact: Ruby Monge @
09176380247
Labor group to ECOP: You also need to feel how bad life is for ordinary workers
We can
try to understand how employers feel about the pending wage hike proposals in
Congress. But their permanent opposition to any proposal since time immemorial
speaks volumes about their regard for the lives of ordinary workers in our
country.
We see
them constantly opposed to any wage hike proposal at the level of regional wage
boards since 1989, and against the legislated wage proposals since 1999.
In other
words, they will cry wolf against any wage proposal, but neglect to mention how
workers suffered a life of poverty. They won’t tell us that GDP and labor
productivity more than doubled during the last three decades, but real wages of
workers remained flat.
In fact,
even as they up the hype of apocalyptic death of local industry and el niño of
foreign investors, the fact remains that minimum wages all over the country
fall under the national poverty threshold of P13,797 per month for a family of
five. The same is true when economic managers assure everyone that GDP will
remain within the 6% trajectory. That won’t change the fact that after 35 years
under the regional wage boards, guided by thousands of pages of Philippine
Development Plans, more than 20% of our population remains poor, or close to
half, according to the latest SWS survey on self-rated poverty.
The
problem is that employers don’t feel this way as they always view wage hikes,
union rights, and equitable distribution of wealth as anti-business. But we
don’t require them to have a change of heart, in the same way workers won’t
stop asking for fair share in the social wealth they have been creating for centuries.
Why then
is legislative action necessary for wage hikes? Simply put, the regionalization
of wages under RA6727 was an epic failure. The highest wage rates, 35 years
after, still fall short of meeting the poverty threshold. Moreover, regional wage
policies have not succeeded in attracting investments to the country's poorer
regions, despite being one of the law's intended objectives. There is also a
low level of investment despite this low wage regime incentives.
We understand ECOP's emphasis on micro-enterprises as a central argument against wage hikes. However, framing the issue as a choice between inflation, unemployment, and small businesses overlooks the broader benefits of ensuring workers receive fair compensation. We maintain that our call for legislated wage hikes is not intended to harm small businesses; rather, we believe that the positive ripple effects of higher take-home pay extend further than keeping wages at starvation levels.
27 February 2024
Thursday, February 22, 2024
Social movements march against chacha, link up with church groups
Labor organizations and
social movements on Thursday participated in the ecumenical gathering
“PANAGHOY, PANALANGIN AT PANININDIGAN LABAN SA CHARTER CHANGE” event led by the
Koalisyon Laban sa Chacha held at Plaza Roma, directly in front of the Manila
Cathedral and the Commission on Elections office.
But before converging at
Plaza Roma, sectoral and community groups gathered from eight in the morning at
the Missionary Charity beside the Delpan Sports Complex in Tondo and marched
towards Anda Circle to link up with other contingents.
Carrying the banner
"Sahod Itaas, Cha-Cha Iatras" were the Federation of Free Workers
(FFW), Partido Manggagawa (PM), and Sentro ng Nagkakaisa at Progresibong
Manggagawa (SENTRO), all conveners of the NAGKAISA! Labor Coalition. Meanwhile,
KALIPUNAN is comprised of groups Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM), Kilos Maralita (KM),
PAKISAMA, PM, SENTRO, and World March of Women.
Also joining the march were
the Akbayan party, the human rights group In Defense of Human Rights and Dignity
Movement or iDefend, Tindig Pilipinas, UPAC and DAMPA.
Urban poor residents from
Parola and Baseco in Tondo, particularly those from Isla Puting Bato and Slip
0, called on the government to prioritize and fund housing programs for the
poor instead of pushing for chacha which offers land ownership to foreign
citizens. Women and youth participants also voiced their demands for wider
social services and the eradication of violence.
In their related statements,
the groups asserted that the Constitution is not the reason why many Filipinos
remain poor. They argued that the real problem lies in the concentration of
wealth in a few hands and the dynastic governance of the country's leaders.
They also claimed that
charter change was never the people’s urgent concerns such as inflation, wage
hike and unemployment, hence there is no reason for lawmakers to prioritize it.
The Koalisyon Laban sa Chacha
is a coalition of church, sectors, and community groups launched on February 14
to oppose charter change while simultaneously advocating for the people's
demands, deepening democracy, and good governance.
Following the mass, the
coalition conducted their program including sectoral speeches, during which
they called on the Comelec to completely halt the people’s initiative. Part of
the action also included commemorating the People Power that began on February
22, 1986.
They vowed to continue opposing cha-cha until the people’s initiative and even the convening of ConAss for economic charter change are completely stopped.
Photos and videos can be
accessed at https://www.facebook.com/partidomanggagawa/
NAGKAISA! Labor Coalition
Kalipunan ng mga Kilusang Masa (KALIPUNAN)
February 22, 2024
MEDIA ADVISORY: Social movements march to anti-chacha assembly with church
MEDIA ADVISORY
Request for coverage
NAGKAISA! Labor Coalition
Kalipunan ng mga Kilusang
Masa (KALIPUNAN)
22 February 2024
Social movements march to
anti-chacha assembly with church
But before joining church
groups in Plaza Roma in front of the Manila Cathedral, NAGKAISA!, KALIPUNAN,
Akbayan, iDefend, UPAC, and DAMPA will organize a COMMUNITY MARCH from
Missionary Charity in Tondo Manila, bringing along with them their sectoral
agenda and collective opposition to chacha.
WHEN: February 22, 2024
TIME: 8:00 AM
WHERE: Community/sectoral
assembly at Missionary Charity (cor. Delpan Sports Complex). And then to Anda
Circle to link up with other contingents.
Photo ops available
----------------
For details/queries you may
contact: Judy Ann Miranda @ 09175570777;
Ruby Monge @ 09176380247
Wednesday, February 21, 2024
MEDIA ADVISORY: Anti-chacha community march by workers, women and poor tomorrow
Request for coverage
NAGKAISA! Labor Coalition
Kalipunan ng mga Kilusang Masa (KALIPUNAN)
21 February 2024
Anti-chacha community march by workers, women and poor tomorrow
But before joining church groups in Plaza Roma in front of the Manila Cathedral, NAGKAISA!, KALIPUNAN, Akbayan, iDefend, UPAC, and DAMPA will organize a COMMUNITY MARCH from Missionary Charity in Tondo Manila, bringing along with them their sectoral agenda and collective opposition to chacha.
WHEN: February 22, 2024
TIME: 8:00 AM
WHERE: Community/sectoral assembly at Missionary Charity (cor. Delpan Sports Complex). And then to Anda Circle to link up with other contingents.
Photo ops available
----------------
For details/queries you may contact: Judy Ann Miranda @ 09175570777; Ruby Monge @ 09176380247
Tuesday, February 20, 2024
House must now deliberate on wage hike as Senate passes P100 version—Partido Manggagawa
The group Partido Manggagawa (PM) stated that the Senate approval of the P100 legislated wage hike is a welcome relief. “We will wait for the House of Representatives if they can walk their counterpart bills which are higher than the Senate’s. Huwag sanang ang grasya ay maging bato pa kung aatras ang Kamara. Magagalit ang manggagawa. The battle now shifts to Batasan,” declared Rene Magtubo, PM national chair and a Marikina City councilor.
The group also asserted that all workers, formal and informal, will gain whether directly or indirectly from the legislated wage hike, contrary to the claims of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) that only 10% of “formal workers” will benefit.
“Minimum wage earners will get the P100 wage hike in full. Other workers in the formal sector will gain a portion of P100 through what is called wage distortion—wages above the minimum will have to be adjusted since the floor was raised. And workers in the informal economy will also benefit since formal workers with more purchasing power will patronize their products and services. It is ordinary wage earners—not rich professionals or capitalists—who buy from street vendors, eat in carinderias, ride jeepneys and tricycles, and purchase farmers’ and fishers’ produce in wet markets. In fact, formal and informal workers live together as one family so how can they not enjoy the wage hike?,” Magtubo.
He lambasted Sergio Ortiz-Luis of ECOP “for feigning concern for workers when in truth he just doesn’t want profits reduced through a wage hike.”
“Ortiz-Luis is peddling fake news. Let us be evidence-based with the numbers. The latest Labor Force Survey shows that 49.2%, about half, of the total 50.5 million labor force, are 24.8 million workers employed in private firms. Of which, one fifth or 4.1 million are minimum wage earners. Another 13.8 million workers, about a quarter or 27.4% of the labor force, are self-employed with no employees. Majority of them are informal workers like street vendors and tricycle drivers while a minority are middle-class professionals like doctors and lawyers. Therefore, three quarters of the labor force or more than 30 million workers stand to benefit from a wage hike. Ortiz-Luis is being disingenuous as he is actually defending the interests of the one million employers or 2% of the labor force,” Magtubo expounded.
He added that “In fact, even employers will in the end take advantage of a wage hike as aggregate demand in the economy will rise. Workers’ wages are entirely consumed to buy their families’ necessities, unlike capitalists who hoard part of their profits as savings or use it to obtain luxuries from abroad. This is what happened for the past two years: the economy prospered, and inflation and unemployment went on a decline after two successive minimum wage hikes in all regions. Wage hikes are good, not bad, for the economy and all workers.”
Monday, February 19, 2024
STATEMENT ON SENATE APPROVAL OF P100 WAGE HIKE
The
Senate approval of the P100 wage hike is a welcome relief. We will wait for the
House of Representatives if they can walk their counterpart bills which are
higher than the Senate’s.
Huwag
sanang ang grasya ay maging bato pa kung aatras ang Kamara. Magagalit ang
manggagawa.
The
battle now shifts to Batasan.
19 February 2024
Wage Earners and Aleng Nena Share Economic Benefit from Higher Wages – Partido Manggagawa
Unlike in business where income is retained by
employers either as capital for reinvestment or as profit to sustain lavish
lifestyles, workers' wages circulate directly into the local economy,
bolstering the income of neighborhood stores as noted in a recent report
published in a leading newspaper.
This is according to Partido Manggagawa (PM) which,
together with the Nagkaisa! Labor Coalition, continues to press for the passage
of the P100 and higher wage hike bills in both Houses of Congress despite
permanent opposition from the Employers Confederation of the Philippines
(ECOP).
Today the Senate is poised to pass the P100
increase in minimum wage on third and final reading, while the Lower House has
yet to act on the pending P150 and P750 wage hike for workers in the private
sector, as well as the P33,000 entry level monthly salary for public sector
workers.
The more than P8-B sales generated by neighborhood
sari-sari stores in 2023, as reported by analytics group Packworks, “reinforces
our claim that a uniform increase in national minimum wage would neither kill
micro enterprises nor lead to massive unemployment,” said PM Chair Renato
Magtubo.
This report, he added, also disproves ECOP’s
‘catastrophe’ scenario for small businesses once minimum wages are increased by
P100, or higher. “To the contrary, Packworks’ analytic research pointed to
escalating sales transactions between neighborhoods from 2022-2023, coinciding
with slight adjustments in minimum wages ordered by the regional wage boards
during that time,” Magtubo said.
The report also found no correlation between
inflation and the sales trend in sari-sari stores, belying further ECOP’s
sensational ‘wage hike = high inflation’ economic blackmail. Inflation slid
down to 2.8% in January 2024 from 8.7% in January 2023 based on official
statistics reported by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
Considering this positive trend, Magtubo
anticipates further boost in sales transactions for Aleng Nenas from
significant wage increases, citing an earlier study showing that 94% of
consumers rely heavily on neighborhood stores for their retail needs. With
approximately 1.3 million sari-sari stores nationwide, 75% of which are owned
by women, these establishments play a crucial role in sustaining local
economies.
Drawing from his experience as a former union
president, Magtubo underscores the symbiotic relationship between workers and
sari-sari stores. He notes, "Workers often rely on
'utang-bayad-utang-bayad' transactions with their Aleng Nenas. Thus, their
capacity to pay and buy more directly impacts on the viability and
sustainability of neighborhood stores."
In effect, elaborates Magtubo, “Absent regular
support from the government, it is more evident that the transfer of income
from wages of formal labor is what sustains the sari-sari stores, and
consequently, Aleng Nena’s self-employment in the informal economy.”
Magtubo concludes by affirming the labor movement's stance that legislated wage hikes of P100 or higher are not only justified but also beneficial to the national economy. He calls for an end to fear-mongering tactics employed by the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP).
19 February 2024
Sunday, February 18, 2024
All workers will benefit from a wage hike—Partido Manggagawa
Contrary to the claims of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) that only 10% of “formal workers” will benefit from the P100 wage hike bill pending at the Senate, the group Partido Manggagawa (PM) asserted that all workers, formal and informal, will gain whether directly or indirectly.
“Minimum wage earners will get the P100 wage hike
in full. Other workers in the formal sector will gain a portion of P100 through
what is called wage distortion—wages above the minimum will have to be adjusted
since the floor was raised. And workers in the informal economy will also
benefit since formal workers with more purchasing power will patronize their
products and services. It is ordinary wage earners—not rich professionals or
capitalists—who buy from street vendors, eat in carinderias, ride jeepneys and
tricycles, and purchase farmers’ and fishers’ produce in wet markets. In fact,
formal and informal workers live together as one family so how can they not
enjoy the wage hike?,” explained Rene Magtubo, PM national
chair and a Marikina City councilor.
He lambasted Sergio Ortiz-Luis of ECOP “for
feigning concern for workers when in truth he just doesn’t want profits reduced
through a wage hike.”
“Ortiz-Luis is peddling fake news. Let us be
evidence-based with the numbers. The latest Labor Force Survey shows that
49.2%, about half, of the total 50.5 million labor force, are 24.8 million
workers employed in private firms. Of which, one fifth or 4.1 million are
minimum wage earners. Another 13.8 million workers, about a quarter or 27.4% of
the labor force, are self-employed with no employees. Majority of them are
informal workers like street vendors and tricycle drivers while a minority are
middle-class professionals like doctors and lawyers. Therefore, three quarters
of the labor force or more than 30 million workers stand to benefit from a wage
hike. Ortiz-Luis is being disingenuous as he is actually defending the
interests of the one million employers or 2% of the labor force,” Magtubo
expounded.
He added that “In fact, even employers will in the end take advantage of a wage hike as aggregate demand in the economy will rise. Workers’ wages are entirely consumed to buy their families’ necessities, unlike capitalists who hoard part of their profits as savings or use it to obtain luxuries from abroad. This is what happened for the past two years: the economy prospered, and inflation and unemployment went on a decline after two successive minimum wage hikes in all regions, except Davao Region in 2023. Wage hikes are good, not bad, for the economy and all workers.”
February 18, 2024
Friday, February 16, 2024
P100 wage hike will be a blessing not catastrophe
The
labor group Partido Manggagawa (PM) countered employers’ doomsday scenarios for
the economy once a legislated wage hike is passed. “A P100 wage hike will be a
blessing not a catastrophe for the economy. For the past two years, minimum
wages were raised in all regions, except BARMM for this round, and yet
inflation and unemployment went on a decline. The economy benefited and did not
suffer from salary increases,” argued Rene Magtubo, PM national chair.
The
group welcomes the proposed P100 increase in minimum wages nationwide which the
Senate will deliberate on third reading on Monday. “We would have wanted it to
be higher and across-the-board but still an additional P100 in workers’ pockets
will be an immediate relief as the cost of living is around P1,200 a day,”
Magtubo stated.
PM
is calling on the House of Representatives Labor Committee to deliberate on the
pending wage bills. “As surveys have repeatedly shown, Filipinos want solutions
to high prices and low wages, not amendments to the Constitution. Let’s get to
work,” Magtubo demanded.
He
added that “ECOP head Sergio Ortiz-Luis is singing an old tune. They cried the
same dire predictions in 2022 and again in 2023 when organized labor demanded
wage hikes. Inflation in 2022 was 5.8% but now it is down to 2.8%. Similarly,
unemployment has decreased from 5.4% in 2022 to 3.1% as of December last year.”
“In
Metro Manila, the
minimum wage hike in 2022 and 2023 was P33 and P40, respectively, or P73 in
total. Firms did not shutter and MSMEs did not go under. Where is the
catastrophe? On the contrary, the economy has gained from wage hikes as the
increased purchasing power meant greater demand and bigger production for firms
in industry and services,” Magtubo explained.
He continued that “As theory and studies show, a moderate salary raise need not lead to inflation or retrenchment as employers can just absorb the higher labor costs by reducing their profit. So, we call on Sergio Ortiz-Luis, share the wealth with the workers who created it in the first place.”
February 16, 2024
Thursday, February 15, 2024
Nagkaisa! Presses the Lower House to Raise Wages Higher than What the Senate Could
With the Senate
getting closer to passing on third reading the proposed P100 wage increase, the
Nagkaisa! Labor Coalition now calls on the House of Representatives (HOR) to
get their own version of the bill moving and raise wages higher than what the
Senate could.
Pending before the HOR
are bills seeking a P150 and P750 across-the-board wage hikes for private
sector workers, and P33,000/month entry level for public sector workers. Today,
a bill was also filed for a P50,000 salary base for teachers.
If the HOR can create
a mountain out of a molehill, like what it did for a more complicated process
of revising the Constitution, then they can do the same for the wage hike bills
and in correcting the defective wage setting mechanism in the country.
The P100 wage proposal
which passed the second reading in the Senate today falls short of the P150
originally promised and a far cry from what was needed to save minimum wage
earners from the poverty wages imposed upon them by all the regional wage
boards. The measure is also for minimum wage earners only.
Still, we welcome it as a form of relief, and a good start as well to correcting the problems created by the regional wage setting mechanism. Once legislated, this should be followed by reforming the wage setting mechanism, which both the House and the Senate should initiate, rather than waste their time on charter change.
NAGKAISA! Labor Coalition
15 February 2024