PM on DOLE’s secret and historic rollback of P85 wage hike

Wage Order No. 28, issued and published by the National Wages and Productivity Commission’s NCR Regional Wage Board today, created more wage confusion rather than hope, the Partido Manggagawa (PM) stated in response. 

 

“Ngayon ay mas maraming dapat ipaliwanag ang nagtatagong Labor Secretary. Ang Wage Order 28 ay historic rollback mula P85 – P60, Sec. Tolentino. Bukod pa sa ito ay sikretong desisyon ng regional wage board na hindi kasali ang manggagawa,” said PM Chairperson Renato Magtubo.

 

Magtubo said the new wage order shames Tolentino to the max as there was no judicious explanation for his retreat other than his kaduwagan (cowardice) against Judge Manongsong.

 

“Nakakahiya dahil nabahag ang buntot ni Tolentino sa harap ni Manongsong kahit napakatibay ng ligal na basehan na dapat ipatupad ng DOLE ang Wage Order 27 sa ilalim ng Labor Code at RA 6727, bukod pa sa nabigo din ang RII Builders at Readycon na mag-post ng P10-B bond para para maging effective ang injunction,” explained the PM leader. 

 

The group likewise insinuated that WO 28 is Malacañang’s compromise position with employers as the Labor Secretary acts only in accordance with the position of his boss, President Marcos, Jr. 

 

The result of this cowardice and compromised executive position: “Nadagdagan ang order, pero nabawasan ang wage.” 

 

It is also historic for NCR to get two wage orders, said Magtubo. “Dalawang wage orders na sa NCR, habang ang mga manggagawa sa ibang regions ay nganga at naghihintay sa wala.”

 

For PM, this is not simply a question of whether P60 or P85 is enough. The bigger problem is the system itself.

 

“Ang presyo ng mga produkto ay deregulated, diretso sa merkado sa lahat ng panig ng bansa. Pero ang sweldo, hindi aplikable sa lahat ng rehiyon at pwede pang pakialaman ng Judge,” said Magtubo. 

 

PM called for a comprehensive reform of the wage-setting system toward a mechanism that guarantees regular, timely and substantial wage increases; progressively eliminates unjustifiable regional wage gaps; and moves toward a national minimum wage based on genuine living wage standards.

 

PRESS RELEASE

Partido Manggagawa

11 September 2026

 

PM condemns Pasig judge’s forever TRO

 

The labor group Partido Manggagawa slammed the decision of Pasig Regional Trial Court Judge Marie Joyce Manongsong to grant the employers’ petition for a writ of preliminary injunction against the implementation of the P85 wage order for minimum wage earners in the National Capital Region.

 

“Judge Manongsong’s forever TRO deprives at least a million minimum earners from benefiting from the recent wage order. The forever TRO suspends the wage hike for workers and gives capitalists a profit increase. Pinalawig ng preliminary injunction ang pagKAKAMALi ni Manongsong na patawan ng TRO ang wage order, bagay na singlinaw ng sikat ng araw ay di maaring gawin ayon sa Labor Code at Wage Rationalization Act,” asserted Rene Magtubo.

 

Magtubo argued that “If just two employers can afford to post a P10 billion bond then why can’t all the NCR-based capitalists afford to pay the P60 first tranche? P10 billion is enough to pay the P60 wage increase for 1.1 million minimum wage earners for a total of 151 days or almost 6 working months. Capitalists have the capacity to pay the wage hike. But they are so greedy and don’t want their profits reduced.”

 

Magtubo called the workers in Metro Manila and the whole country to express their outrage at the forever TRO against the wage hike. “Judges and employers, not just in NCR but in other regions, can always invent legal arguments against the wage hike and for a profit increase. Workers should wage an extra-legal battle to win a wage increase!”

Press Release

Partido Manggagawa

Partido Manggagawa to Tolentino: Bawiin ang ₱85 sa kamay ni Judge!

The TROs issued against the ₱85 NCR wage increase have become a direct challenge not only to workers but to the labor chief and his entire department. The true test now is whether Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino can reclaim the lost ground, or he will simply allow the process to stall the wage order in favor of few employers. 

 

As Labor Secretary, Tolentino carries far greater responsibility than any trial court judge in protecting workers’ rights. The Secretary is mandated by the Constitution and the Labor Code to promote workers’ welfare and exercise primary jurisdiction over wage policies. A judge merely resolves the case before the court. The Labor Secretary must defend the order and ensure that lawful wage increases are not defeated by legal maneuvers.

 

PM therefore calls on Secretary Tolentino to personally lead DOLE’s legal effort to immediately lift the TRO and vigorously defend the ₱85 wage order before the courts. Passivity will only embolden employers to weaponize TROs against every future wage increase.

 

If wage orders can be suspended so easily, then workers are left with rights only on paper, while the NWPC-DOLE ends up making the P85 wage hike story history rather than “historic”. 

 

Secretary Tolentino must prove that DOLE is not a mere issuer of wage orders but their strongest defender.

 

Workers need a Labor Secretary who will fight for their wages—not simply administer the process.

 

Bawiin ang P85 sa kamay ni Judge at ibigay agad sa manggagawa.

 

Do this and history shall be our judge.

 

 

Tungkol sa TRO sa P85 Wage Hike na inilabas ng Pasig RTC

Mali ang Pasig RTC sa paglalabas ng TRO laban sa implementasyon ng P85 wage hike dito sa NCR. Bukod sa labag ito sa Labor Code, wala rin itong katwiran. 

 

Magkakaroon lamang ng katwiran ang TRO ni Judge Manongsong kung  naka TRO din ang presyo ng mga bilihin. 

 

May system loss na nga sa kuryente, pati sweldo ay gusto pa yatang ipa- system loss ni Judge. 

 

Isusubo na lang nawala pa. Wages delayed are wages denied.

 

Ang alam lang yata ni Judge ay ang karapatan ng lahat, kabilang ang employer na tumakbo sa korte anumang oras. Ang hindi niya kabisado ay hindi pwedeng takbuhan ng employer ang pananagutan sa sahod ng mga manggagawa.

 

PRESS STATEMENT

Partido Manggagawa

30 July 2026

Workers to Remolona: Why is P85 wage hike inflationary and your P52-M per year is not?

Photo from Business World

 

The labor group Partido Manggagawa (PM), on Monday asked Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Eli Remolona on why he raises high alarm on the inflationary impact of the recently approved P85 increase in daily minimum wage in the National Capital Region (NCR). 

 

The group said because workers have no grasp of macro-economics, it wants the BSP governor to educate the public on why money in the hands of rich people is not inflationary while workers’ wages are.

 

In particular: “Why is the P85 wage hike inflationary and his P52 million salary is not,” asked PM Chair Renato Magtubo.

 

Magtubo said Remolona is merely echoing the long-held position of employer’s groups that any wage increase is bad for workers and the economy.

 

“Ang mayayaman sa Pilipinas ay mas maraming hawak na pera kaysa sa manggagawa, pero walang economic managers sa bansa ang nagsabi na ang ganitong sitwasyon ay inflationary, samantalang korus silang lahat sa inflationary effect ng wage hike,” said Magtubo.

 

He added: “Why should inflation be the problem when it is wages which cannot catch up with the latter? Ang duda naming ay may balak ang pamahalaan na i-reverse ang P85 sa pamamagitan ng pagbibigay babala sa ibang rehiyon na huwag tularan ang NCR. Hindi ito acceptable.”

 

The labor leader said workers need answers to this question as the 4th State of the Nation Address (SONA) of the President is happening on Monday under the backdrop of the Philippines having been declared by the World Bank an upper middle-income country (UMIC). 

 

PM said for the UMIC status to be real, an average Filipino household size of four members must have an income of P1,000,000 per year.  

 

“Wala tayo sa ganyang mundo ngayon. Sa katunayan, 90% ng households sa buong Pilipinas ay kumikita ng mas mababa sa P1-M sa loob ng isang taon, batay sa Family Income and Expenditure Survey,” Magtubo explained.

 

He added that millionaires in the richest 10% of the population can only be found in 13 cities of the country, 8 of which are in Metro Manila. “Pero walang nagpapaliwanag kung bakit ang hawak nilang yaman ay hindi inflationary at ang wage hike sa minimum wage earners ang dapat pangambahan.”

 

Minimum wages in the Philippines in all regions in the country, except NCR, have stayed lower than the official poverty threshold. 

 

PRESS RELEASE

Partido Manggagawa

20 July 2026

 

WHY TRUMP'S ABDUCTION OF MADURO IS A CRIME

 

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores were illegally arrested by the United States President Donald Trump.

This arrest sends a clear message: The Trump administration does not recognize international laws that respect the sovereignty of countries. And it plans to dominate Venezuela to exploit and profit from the country's oil. Trump will try to install a leader who is a puppet of the Americans to accelerate the seizure of oil and continue the capitalists' greed for profit.

This kind of interference is nothing new for the United States. US hegemony aims to seize materials like oil for its own interests—that will benefit US capitalists not workers. Iraq before, Venezuela now.

The result of US aggression in other countries is the suffering of the masses. While the US indulges in oil as the lifeblood of production, the process of their monopolization of the market will only accelerate. This will result in the continued stunting of other countries' economies and rising prices of goods, including in the Philippines. Inequality between countries will intensify even more.

Excessive production will also have a massive effect on our environment. This will increase greenhouse gas emissions that will accelerate environmental destruction. This means that countries vulnerable to typhoons and other disasters, like the Philippines, will pay for the excesses of the United States government.

For the Filipino youth, workers and people, the US imperialist meddling in Venezuela and the abduction of their president and first lady is blatant exploitation for their own interests. This will bring nothing good to the masses in the US, Venezuela, and other countries like the Philippines. It will only produce more problems like rising prices of goods and the intensification of typhoons and floods.

Hands off Venezuela. Oil for the people, not imperialist plunder!

Press Statement

January 5, 2026

Lawrence Cusipag

Spokesperson, PM Kabataan

1% dagdag sa SSS premium suspendihin o sagutin ng pamahalaan

Nanawagan ang Partido Manggagawa (PM) sa pamunuan ng Social Security System (SSS) at sa Palasyo ng Malacañang na suspendihin ang pagpapatupad sa 1% na pagtaas sa premium contribution sa harap ng kabiguan ng pamahalaan na tugunan ang kahilingan ng manggagawa para sa P150 na dagdag sahod, gayundin sa resulta ng surbey na nagsasabing 63% ng mga Pilipino ang nakakaramdam ng higit pang paghihirap sa kasulukuyan.

 

“Premyo sa produktibidad, hindi dagdag premium sa SSS ang dapat ipataw sa manggagawa”, sigaw ng mga kasapi ng PM sa ginanap na piket ngayong umaga sa tanggapan ng SSS kasama ng Nagkaisa Labor Coalition.

 

Sa halip na dagdag kita ay pawang kaltas sa sahod umano ang napapala ng manggagawa.

 

Ayon kay Renato Magtubo, Pangulo ng PM, kabawasan sa take-home pay ang 1% dagdag premium sa SSS habang papataas ang implasyon at ang wage orders naman na iniutos ng mga regional wage board ay di pa nangalahating maibalik ang nawalang halaga ng sahod sa nakalipas na taon.

 

Inilahad din ni Magtubo na may halos P90 bilyon, ayon sa COA, na hindi nakokolektang kontribusyon ang SSS sa libu-libong pasaway na employers na di hamak na mas malaki sa inaasahang koleksyon na P51B mula dito sa dagdag premium.

 

“Suspensyon o kaya ay sagutin ng gobyerno ang kontribusyon ng manggagawa sa SSS,” deklarasyon ni Magtubo.

 

Nagpoprotesta ang mga grupo dahil habang ang layunin anila ng SSS ay pahabain ang lifespan ng pondo nito sa pamamagitan ng dadag sa premium, ang nababawasan naman ay ang hindi tumataas na sweldo ng manggagawa habang ang mga benepisyo, katulad ng sa Philhealth, ay nananatiling minimal. 

PRESS RELEASE

14 January 2025

Nagkaisa debunks business groups’ arguments against legislated wage increase

The Nagkaisa Labor Coalition strongly refutes the preposterous and misleading argument put forth by certain business groups that only a minority will benefit from the proposed legislative wage increase and as a result, raising wages will send 50 million workers begging for ayuda.

The business groups recently claimed that increasing wages would only benefit a small percentage of the total workforce, stating that approximately 16 percent or about eight million workers in the formal sector out of the total 50 million Filipino workers would be eligible for the wage hike.

This line of argument tries to draw a trade-off between workers in the formal and informal sector to diffuse employers’ direct accountability to their workers, hoping that by painting this ‘little-to-no effect’ and hyperinflation scenario, lawmakers would reconsider passing a legislated wage measure.

We contend that the miserable state of the 50 million workers or more, which is a bigger agenda than a wage hike, is not for the workers to solve but for the government and the capitalist class which failed to address problems of chronic poverty and inequality in the country for decades.

And certainly, keeping minimum wages at starvation level perpetuates the problem, thus, telling minimum wage workers to sacrifice further on behalf of their poorer brothers and sisters in the working class does not solve anything except the comfort of businesses to keep their profit margins when wages are kept at bare minimum.

The employers' arguments fail to consider the broader economic effects and undermine the crucial role of fair wages in driving sustainable growth. Contrary to their claims, raising wages will have a significant positive impact on the economy and the majority of Filipino workers.

It is vital to recognize that the well-being of workers and economic growth are interconnected. By ensuring fair wages for a significant portion of the workforce, we can create a positive ripple effect that stimulates economic activity, increases consumer spending power, and fosters social progress. The 16 percent of workers who will experience increased wages will contribute to a healthier economic climate, benefiting businesses and workers alike.

In addition, the economic benefits of wage increase can help address the persistent issue of malnutrition in the Philippines. UNICEF data reveals the severity of malnutrition in the country, with devastating consequences for the future of Filipino children. Every day, 95 children die from malnutrition, and twenty-seven out of 1,000 Filipino children do not get past their fifth birthday. Shockingly, one-third of Filipino children are stunted, meaning they are short for their age. Stunting after the age of 2 can have permanent, irreversible, and even fatal effects. Needless to say, malnutrition is the culprit behind the country’s dismal below-average IQ ranking of the Philippines in the World Population Review 2023 (WPR).

 
These distressing statistics underscore the urgent need for action. A significant wage increase plays a crucial role in combating malnutrition by enabling families to afford nutritious food, access healthcare, and provide a better quality of life for their children. By addressing the root causes of malnutrition through improved wages, we can protect the future generation of Filipinos from the devastating effects of undernutrition.

We maintain that the first key advantage of higher wages is that workers have more money at their disposal. With increased purchasing power, workers are empowered to spend on essential goods and services, thereby driving consumer demand. This heightened consumer spending not only benefits businesses directly but also stimulates overall economic activity, contributing to a positive economic cycle.

Secondly, higher wages can foster employee loyalty and motivation. When workers are fairly compensated for their efforts, they feel valued and are more likely to be engaged and productive in their roles. This improved productivity can enhance business efficiency and output, further bolstering economic growth.

Likewise, a workforce with higher wages projects stability and helps attract investments. Investors are drawn to countries or regions where workers have decent wages, as it signifies a stable and growing consumer base. Such countries are viewed as favorable investment destinations due to the potential for increased sales and profitability. By implementing higher wages, nations can position themselves as attractive markets for both domestic and foreign investment, spurring economic development and job creation.

Therefore, it is crucial for policymakers and businesses to recognize that investing in workers through higher wages yields significant long-term benefits. The positive effects cascade throughout the economy, generating a multiplier effect that contributes to overall prosperity.

PRESS RELEASE
Nagkaisa Labor Coalition 

Labor partylist calls on DOLE to censure ECOP on EML

The labor partylist Partido Manggagawa asked Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello to reprimand the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) for its statement that companies will discriminate against women workers because of the added costs of expanded maternity leave benefit. “ECOP’s statement is not just a grave threat but an expression of criminal intent. The Expanded Maternity Leave Law explicit prohibits employers from discriminating against female workers,” asserted Judy Ann Miranda, PM partylist secretary-general.

The group reminded employers that violation of the EML Law under section 18 carries a penalty of 20,000 pesos to 200,000 pesos; or imprisonment from six years to 12 years; or both.

Miranda added that ECOP’s release of the survey is a calculated move to influence the drafting of the implementing rules and regulations of the EML law. “ECOP will no doubt lobby for exemptions and deferments similar to that in the wage orders of regional wage boards,” she predicted.

Miranda insisted that “Granting for the sake of argument that EML will entail additional costs for employers, still women workers have earned a right to this benefit as companies have been monopolizing the productivity gains for almost two decades. From 2001 to 2016, labor productivity has increased by 50% but real wages have stagnated.”

She averred that “But in truth, added maternity benefits will hardly make a dent in employers’ profits as it is the SSS that pays women workers for the bulk of the maternity pay. In 2016, just around only 250,000 or less than one percent of all women of reproductive age claimed maternity benefits with the SSS. There was a slight increase in 2017 with approximately 290,000 women applying for maternity benefits. The total costs of maternity leave paid by the SSS in 2016 and 2017 is less than 6 billion pesos annually.”

“PM partylist and other labor and women groups remain vigilant in ensuring that the victory of EML will not be watered down by greedy employers,” Miranda ended.

March 20, 2019

Women workers welcome EML's passage in the House

The Partido Manggagawa (PM) welcomes the passage of HB 4113 or the Expanded Maternity bill that entitles working women to a 100-day paid maternity leave.

The House version is 20 days shorter than the 120-day provision passed by the Senate last year. Thus women groups are still hopeful that the small gap can still be worked out in the bicameral conference committee.

"We commend the sponsors of the bill for the hard work spent in ensuring that this bill reaches this stage. And of course to the chairperson of the women committee, Rep. Bernadette Herrera (PL BH), for steering this measure into its final enactment," said PM Secretary General Judy Ann Miranda.

Miranda said the HOR version is just above the 98-day maternity leave recommended by the International Labor Organization (ILO) but far lower than the levels in ASEAN.

She added that "We know it can still be worked out in the bicam level. The longer the maternity leave, the better for mothers, their children, and their family members.”

Miranda noted that LPGMA partylist Rep. Arnel Ty tried to derail the passage of the EML during the debates by taking the position of employers who are all opposed to the bill.

"We were aware of Rep. Ty's position as he truly represented the interests of business in Congress. It is this kind of representation that defined his opposition to EML. He, of course, cannot stand as a businessman and a worker at the same time. This measure is for workers, especially women," concluded Miranda.

4 September 2018

On the signed EO on Endo: Will Congress stand stronger than the mightiest President this country ever had?

Press Statement

Rene Magtubo

PM National Chair

The EO narrative is over. Sadly, we are in for another waiting game as the anti-endo ball was passed by the President to Congress for ultimate resolution.  The workers’ struggle for security of tenure, therefore, is far from over. Tuloy ang laban! 

A bigger question, consequently, is bothering our workers now: Will Congress, which is known for greasy political horse-tradings, stand stronger than the mightiest President this country ever had?

Yes, we were truly dismayed and frustrated with the Executive Order (EO) on endo signed by President Duterte yesterday. First, it was an EO that no one in the labor sector was able to read. Second, none of the most important povisions demanded by labor - which is the reinstatement of direct-hiring and regularization as the norm in employment relations - was adopted in the signed document. 

In short, after more than two years of protest actions, negotiations and labor groups’ dutiful drafting of five drafts of an EO, it was big business and their captured officials in DTI and DOLE in the end that won the heart of the President. The die is cast here and in this episode of class battle it is the side of capital that gained momentum with their effective capture of the Executive, including the President. 

Upon signing of the EO, President Duterte admitted that his order is limited only to what is provided under the Labor Code. What he never explained is the fact that such limitation is surmountable by the the Code’s the same grant of executive powers to the President and the Labor Secretary (Article 106) to prohibit contracting and sub-contracting. The five drafts submitted to him by labor groups have in fact addressed that concern by providing exemptions to allowable forms of contractualization upon consultations with the tripartite council. 

The President said he cannot be a legislator to correct the Labor Code’s constraints. That, to us, sounded so legalese and diplomatic for a President known for unorthodox political brinkmanship. 

“Sinagad ko na ito,” Duterte declared after signing the EO. At nasagad nga sa kasiyahan ang ECOP.  

2 May 2018

Ecozone workers slam “factory shutdown cum union busting”

Workers in the Cavite ecozone are slamming management schemes of busting unions by shutting down their factories. One garments factory temporarily shutdown last month and there are rumors of an electronics firm closing next month, both located at the Cavite Economic Zone in the town of Rosario.

However, workers are alleging that the shutdowns are motivated by union busting. On Monday, workers are holding a mass protest at the Cavite ecozone to highlight their demand for respect for freedom of association, and better wages and benefits.

“We call on the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Philippine Economic Zone Authority to intervene as these unfair labor practices by foreign capitalists are engendering workers discontent and labor disputes. Workers are unionizing to improve their working conditions but are being met by extreme interference from capitalists unwilling to share the fruits of production,” asserted Rene Magtubo, national chair of Partido Manggagawa (PM), which has been assisting the ecozone workers.

Last month, the garments factory Sein Together Phils. Inc. closed down and then reopen on October 23 according to a notice filed at the DOLE. However almost four hundred Sein Together workers have already been terminated after accepting a separation offer. Meanwhile at the electronics firm Lakepower Converter Inc., workers are concerned by stories from management personnel that it will shutdown temporarily next month. Starting this week, overtime was cancelled and workweek was reduced to only five days at Lakepower.

“The common denominator between Sein Together and Lakepower is that workers exercised their right to unionize so they could better their wages and working conditions. In the Korean-owned Sein Together, the response of management was to harass workers and force them to accept separation during the shutdown,” Magtubo explained.

Last month, media reported the exodus of Korean companies from the Philippines to Vietnam due allegedly to the high cost of doing business. Magtubo insisted though that some of the companies may just be relocating to avoid unionization.

He cited the case of Faremo International Inc., the biggest garments in the Cavite ecozone that shutdown in October last year, just four months after signing a collective bargaining agreement with the then newly-formed union. More than seven hundred workers were laid off because of the factory closure but the union maintained a picketline for three months inside the Cavite ecozone to demand the reopening of the factory. The dispute ended with the workers accepting an improved separation offer from Faremo, including the grant of sewing machines for a livelihood project.

Magtubo also mentioned the dispute at the Seung Yuen Technology Industries Corp., an electronics supplier at the Cavite ecozone that filed for closure after the workers voted yes to a  union in April 2016. After the union accepted an improved separation offer, the factory reopened immediately under a new name and with contractual and non-union workers.

“This modus operandi of closing a factory to bust the union and reopening under a new name is also practiced in the Mactan Cebu ecozone as can be gleaned from the very recent case of electronics factory Cebu Nisico Corp. Before negotiations with the union could begin, it shutdown last August, offered separation to almost 200 workers and then reopened after just two weeks with a new name,” Magtubo averred.

October 13, 2017

Workers slam employers for opposing endo bills

Photo grap from ECOP Facebook page

The labor group Partido Manggagawa (PM) slammed employers for its “wholesale opposition” to bills that seek to regulate or prohibit the prevalent forms of contractualization. “It’s social justice, stupid,” exclaimed Rene Magtubo, PM national chair, in response to the employers’ stand that businesses are entitled to profit and growth.

He added that “The blanket rejection by capitalists of proposed bills promoting workers’ security of tenure reeks of utter greed. The Philippines has had years of robust economic growth yet the employers do not want to share the fruits of workers’ labor. No wonder, capitalists are getting richer as workers are getting poorer.”

PM and other labor groups are escalating their campaign and advocacy against endo. The passage of the security of tenure bill and the release of a Presidential executive order on endo are both objectives of the workers’ campaign.

A copy of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines’ (ECOP) position paper on endo bills filed in the House of Representatives was released to the media yesterday. The ECOP sought to block passage of all the 25 proposed legislation to reform the Labor Code’s provisions on contracting.

The Labor Code allows contractualization subject to the power of the Labor Secretary to regulate or prohibit it in the interest of workers’ constitutional right to security of tenure. PM and its allied labor groups in the coalition Nagkaisa! are supporting HB 4444 by Cong. Raymond Mendoza. The bill aims to strengthen job security by banning all forms of contractualization.

“In the ECOP’s twisted logic, capitalist profit is an entitlement superior to labor rights such as job security. From such a hardline position flows the widespread practice of illegal forms of contractualization like 5-5-5 and repeated short-term contracts,” averred Magtubo.

He continued that “The ECOP did not even bother to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the different pending bills on endo. The capitalists simply do not want to any kind of change that will cut into their profit. They just want the business as usual of insecure jobs for workers so that wages remain cheap, benefits lacking and labor docile.”

The PM and Nagkaisa! are calling on President Rodrigo Duterte to issue an executive order to implement his promise of ending endo. In a dialogue last Labor Day, Duterte conceded to the demand. Last May 9, a draft order was submitted by Nagkaisa!, KMU and National Anti-Poverty Commission to the President.

“We call on the President to sign the draft executive order. Promises should be kept not broken. Workers are expecting no less from Malacanang,” insisted Magtubo.

30 May 2017

Nagkaisa Press Statement Bonifacio Day 2016

NAGKAISA

A better policy is possible

A win-win solution to endo is unacceptable

The only chance for Filipino workers to enjoy a life of dignity is to have secure and good paying jobs.  Contractualization is spoiling this dream.  And the government is unacceptably prolonging the misery. 

By raising the bogey of massive job loss once the government accedes to workers’ demand for an end to all forms of contractualization, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), was in effect forcing the workers to accept its win-win formula that allows, rather than prohibit, the perpetuation of different forms of contractualization.

The DTI proposal is unacceptable on two grounds.  First, the end endo promise, the way it was presented by the President during the election campaign, did not mean the end of one form of contractualization and the legalization of another type.  Second, legalizing sub-contracting and outsourcing work arrangement is a ploy to shield employers from assuming their inherent responsibility of providing direct and regular employment to their workers.  Regularization done in contractor agencies rather than in mother companies is a fraud.

We don’t want to assume that the DTI wish is the President’s command. But why is the President’s command now marching towards a different direction?

Saan kami ngayon kukuha ng kapal ng kumpyansa kung wala na sa mukha ng gubyerno ang kaseryosohang ganap na itigil ang endo? Kung ang DTI at DOLE ay parehong win-win na ang tono?

Analogous to the time of Gat Andres Bonifacio, the epidemic of contractualization diminishes the plight of Filipino workers to a life of colonial subjects unable to exercise their freedom because none of their masters today would want to recognize their sovereign existence as regular employees. 

Hindi pinangarap ni Gat Andres Bonifacio ang ganitong buhay para sa mga Pilipino.  Filipinos did not wage a revolution against colonial exploitation only to be subjected to another form of oppression.

Kung gayon ay dapat mabatid: Kung ayaw tapusin ng gubyerno ang endo, hindi rin tatapusin ng uring manggagawa ang kanyang rebolusyon.

November 30, 2016

Workers to Donald Dee: Is ECOP an organization of madmen?

“In today's business environment, there is no such thing as permanent employment.  If they push that, no madman would do business here.”

 

For expressing this view, a worker’s group has turned the table against Donald Dee, the head of Employers' Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP), who also has threatened to bring the government to court once it forces companies to make their employees regular or permanent.

 

“ECOP is in business and when Donald Dee said no madman would do business here without endo, it also goes to show that ECOP is, in essence, an organization of madmen.  If that is so, the more the need for the government to take the side of labor,” countered Partido Manggagawa (PM) Chair Renato Magtubo.

 

According to Magtubo:  “Endo or contractualization in its many form is an epidemic that must be purged to save the present and future generation of workers from sinking deeper into the gulf of terminal marginality.”

 

As to Dee’s threat to bring the government to court, Magtubo said: “ECOP should not make the courts its battlefield on endo.  It’s a policy issue.  You shouldn’t bother the court to resolve the issue on whether workers have the right to live a life of dignity over the right of capital to a fair return.”

 

Labor and business are at loggerheads over this issue as the government of President Duterte made it a pledge to end the pervasive practice of endo in the workplace.  The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is soon to come out with a new Order in place of the much criticized DO 18-A that regulates contracting and third party sub-contracting practices.  

 

PM likewise noted that pending bills in the House and in the Senate are more for regulation of allowable contracting rather than on prohibition.

 

Echoing the resounding and unanimous position of the October 17 Labor Summit, Partido Manggagawa under the Nagkaisa labor coalition, is for total prohibition of all forms of contractualization and fixed-term employment. 

 

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), however, is more inclined with the business proposal for a “win-win solution” which prescribes regularization done by third party service providers (manpower agencies and cooperatives) and not by principal companies -- a prescription vehemently opposed by labor.

 

PM is urging DOLE and Congress to principally consider the weight of the position taken by the Labor Summit. 

 

“A good policy may also mean an end of contract with madmen,” concludes Magtubo.

November 3, 2016

Renaming DOLE uncomforting - labor group

A labor group on Wednesday finds itself uncomfortable with the proposal of incoming labor secretary Silvestre Bello to rename the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to Department of Labor and Management or of Employers, purportedly to provide employers the ‘comfort zone’ in doing their business in the country.

 

Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) Chair Renato Magtubo said, “It is, on the contrary, the workers who feel uncomfortable dealing with DOLE because of its perceived industry capture. Renaming it to reaasure business of government protection is another way of portraying the agency as partisan to labor or of labor being a recalcitrant industrial partner condoned by government.”

 

Magtubo added:  “It is performance and not the name that defines DOLE.  If workers are not happy with the department because of rampant labor law violations then business is assumed to be more comfortable with the current setup that allows unbriddled exercise of management prerogative.”

 

The labor leader meanwhile urged Bello to facilitate the holding of a labor summit or to sitdown with different labor groups so he can hear the side of workers.

 

“The new government has already met and made economic commitments with business CEOs in Davao. Now it’s time to hear the soldiers of industry who are the workers and laborerers doing the actual production on the ground.”

21 June 2016

Presidentiables dared to offer policy steps to end endo

The partylist group Partido Manggagawa (PM) dared presidential candidates to propose policy steps to follow through on their commitment to stop contractualization. In a televised presidential debate last night, all five candidates promised to “end endo.”

“It is obvious that the presidentiables played to the crowd by declaring their intent to end endo but it was all too clear that they gave no concrete proposals on regulating much less eradicating the epidemic of contractualization. Either they have a shallow or erroneous understanding of the roots of contractualization,” averred Rene Magtubo, chair of PM and also its first nominee for the partylist elections.

“In deeds not by words should the presidentiables be judged on the issue of contractualization,” insisted Magtubo. PM, along with other labor groups, have been campaigning for the passage of the Security of Tenure bill that has languished in Congress for nearly a decade.  The bill seeks to regulate contractualization by setting a cap on the number of non-regular workers and amending provisions of the Labor Code on subcontracting and outsourcing.

The group noted that none of the presidentiables who are solons pushed for the Security of Tenure bill while those who are local executives employ job order workers, the equivalent of contractual employees in the public sector, in their city halls.

“Mar Roxas deserves special mention for countenancing the outsourcing of Philippine Airlines employees in 2011 while he was cabinet secretary and threatening to file economic sabotage against PALEA members who fought contractualization in the national flag carrier,” stated Gerry Rivera, PALEA president and also PM partylist nominee.

He added that the “Contrary to the misconception of a few presidentiables, contractualization is expressly allowed by the law and is merely regulated but not prohibited. Moreover, lax inspection and enforcement by the Department of Labor and Employment worsens the situation.”

“This stems from the view of government that employers have to be encourged to invest and shifting from regular to contractual labor is part of the package. Thus it is worrisome that even as the presidentiables profess desire to end endo, in the same breath they want to placate employers by providing more incentives. We won’t be surprised that whoever becomes president will simply cave in to the employers’ lobby on the alibi that contractualization is necessary to generate more investments,” Rivera elaborated.

April 25, 2016