Senate’s chacha dance unnecessary, out of step – Nagkaisa!

Leading the charter change (chacha) dance this time is totally unnecessary and out of step for the Senate, the Nagkaisa! Labor Coalition declared in a statement, a week after Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri himself led the Senate majority in the filing of Resolution of Both Houses No. 6 (RBH 6) which aims to amend the economic provision of the 1987 Constitution through a Constituent Assembly (ConAss).

 

Protesting outside the Senate gates on Tuesday, Nagkaisa! members called on Zubiri to redirect his focus to the pressing demands of workers, including a wage hike, an end to labor contractualization (endo), and employment guarantees to address the chronic jobs crisis in the country. Their rallying cry: "Sahod itaas, Chacha i-atras!"

 

Josua Mata, Convenor of Nakakaisa! and Secretary-General of Sentro ng Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (SENTRO), expressed disappointment, stating, "SP Zubiri made significant promises to workers last year, vowing to enact a P150 across-the-board wage hike. Now, it seems he's shifting focus to cha-cha, an agenda unrelated to labor concerns."

 

Mata cautioned against a dubiously assembled ConAss, suggesting it could veer off course, impacting not only the economic provisions but also the political structures, catering to trapos’ (traditional politician) perpetual lust for power.

 

Addressing the diversionary tactics, Judy Miranda, Nagkaisa Women Committee Head and Partido Manggagawa (PM) Secretary-General, accused cha-cha proponents of diverting attention, energy, and resources from issues directly affecting 99% of Filipinos. She emphasized the urgency of prioritizing the P150 wage hike bill and creating more jobs, especially for women, over alien bids to acquire 100% land ownership and control of Philippine businesses.

 

Citing survey results from Pulse Asia and OCTA, Miranda underscored that over two-thirds of Filipinos are more concerned about inflation, wage hikes, and job creation than constitutional changes. She also criticized politicians for denying their complicity in maintaining poverty under a capitalist system that concentrates 90% of national wealth in the hands of the 0.1%.

 

Nagkaisa Chair and Federation of Free Workers (FFW) President Sonny Matula reiterated the call he made earlier that the government rather address workers' core concerns: higher wages, job security, and the freedom to organize for collective bargaining. He criticized the Charter change initiative for diverting attention and resources away from these pressing issues.

 

Nagkaisa! pledged to actively oppose moves to revise the Constitution, announcing plans to collaborate with broader sectors to build an anti-cha-cha movement. The group aims to present workers' agendas as a compelling counter-narrative against pro-alien and pro-dynasty arguments. ###

 

Photos and videos of the rally can be accessed here:

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PRESS RELEASE

NAGKAISA! Labor Coalition

23 January 2024

 

Make the happy bills happen now—labor group on legislated wage hike

Photo from Vera Files

The labor group Partido Manggagawa (PM) welcomed the announcement of Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri that they will facilitate the passage of a legislated across-the-board P150 salary hike but also called on the House of Representatives to fast-track its counterpart bill.

 

“A P150 across-the-board wage hike is indeed a happy bill since it will uplift workers' lives and not just because it is a pet advocacy of legislators. Make the happy bills happen now!,” stated Rene Magtubo, PM national chair and a Marikina city councilor.

 

“We could not agree more with Senator Zubiri that private sector minimum wages have been eroded by inflation and are less than half the Constitutionally-mandated living wage. Thus, the imperative for immediate relief for workers through a legislated wage hike which Congress has the power to enact. Workers are suffering from starvation wages. Instead of a living wage, workers are paid a libing wage,” Magtubo explained.

 

Using the latest consumer price index data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, the group calculates that P88 has been eroded from the P570 minimum wages of Metro Manila workers as of the January inflation of 8.7%. Inflation in areas outside of the National Capital Region is even higher. However, the cost of living for a family of five is estimated by PM to be around P1,300 per day.

 

“The labor movement must link up arms to win war, that is to fight for a wage increase for wage recovery. The working class needs champions in and out of Congress but only unity and action of workers can defeat the resistance of employers to a wage hike,” Magtubo asserted.

 

PM also asked Senator Zubiri to consider the long-standing demand for the abolition of the regional wage boards which discriminate against workers outside Metro Manila. “Instead, we demand a National Wage Commission with the power to adjust wages on the basis of price increases and productivity growth. Even before the recent inflation, wages have stagnated amidst a decade and half of 50% rise in labor productivity. This means that employers have monopolized economic growth and workers have been left behind,” Magtubo elaborated.

 

He added that “Further, we are proposing a policy package called Apat na Dapat. First, wage hikes. Second, abolition of regressive taxes like VAT and application of progressive taxation such as a wealth tax on oligarchs and billionaires. Third, social security subsidies for informal workers. Fourth, discounts on basic commodities. These will protect and improve the wages and incomes of workers in the formal and informal economy.” 

 Press Release

Partido Manggagawa

May 8, 2023

We call on GMA to do a Zubiri

Press Statement

August 4, 2011

Renato Magtubo

Many were happy with the resignation of Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri in the face of the widening expose on electoral fraud in the 2004 and 2007 elections. Still even more are sad that Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo still has not resigned yet.

We call on GMA to do a Zubiri. We urge her to follow his good example. Like Zubiri, GMA does not have to admit that she did cheat. But her resignation nonetheless will give a bigger berth for the investigation of cheating in the presidential polls of 2004. But GMA doing a Zubiri may of course be wishful thinking given that resignation will wipe out any residual immunity and power that she still enjoys as a congresswoman.

By resigning, Zubiri wanted to take the heat away from him since he apparently is not Teflon-coated like GMA. Or to say the same thing, that Zubiri is not made of the same thick hide as GMA.

We hope that GMA makes a speedy recovery from her spine surgery so that she can face in the soonest possible time the probe not just on electoral fraud but on other anomalies during her administration.