Workers troop to Senate for P200 wage hike as urgent reform along with impeachment

 

Members of labor groups Partido Manggagawa (PM) and the Nagkaisa labor coalition trooped to the Senate this morning for the final push for the legislated P200 salary increase. Some 400 workers and supporters joined the mobilization at the Senate to call for the immediate convening of the bicameral committee to come up with a final version. The Senate passed a P100 wage hike while the House of Representatives enacted P200.

 

“We demand that Congress proceed forthwith with organizing the bicam for a final version of the legislated wage increase,” asserted Judy Miranda, PM secretary general.

 

About 100 PM members accompanied Miranda in the Senate rally this morning. Later in the afternoon, the group also linked up with multi-sectoral organizations Kalipunan and Tindig Pilipinas which are calling for the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte to proceed.

 

PM is supporting the call for accountability by Sara Duterte but is insisting that social reforms—such as the wage hike—must be enacted aside from the impeachment of the Vice President. PM raised the demand “Reporma lagpas kay Sara” in the mobilization today. This was also the group’s position when the impeachment case was filed against the Vice President last year.

 

Miranda added that “The P200 wage hike is not excessive but responds appropriately to the wage recovery demand and workers’ just share in the fruits of production. Rigorous research belies the black propaganda and blackmail of employers against wage hikes.” Several academic studies in the Philippines and in other countries have found that substantial salary adjustments do not lead to job losses or higher prices.