Structural reforms needed as free market policies collide with public interest

 

Partido Manggagawa finds the decision of President Marcos to place the country under a state of energy emergency an attempt to show the people that the government is in control. The truth is, it is not.

 

In the midst of the current price shocks, it is becoming clearer that the Philippine government is incapable of protecting the Filipino people because of the limitations imposed by the free market framework of the Oil Deregulation Law (RA 8479).

 

It is not because the Philippine State lacked powers to deal with any emergency. Its problem now is how to extricate itself from the dilemma of trying to demonstrate control against the fact that it is deregulation and privatization policies that truly commands the economy.

 

Despite Palace’s assurances that they are “closely monitoring” price movements, the stark reality is that it has very limited capacity to directly influence fuel prices or stabilize supply. Under full deregulation, oil importation, pricing, and distribution are almost entirely in the hands of private companies.

 

Even the Price Act (RA 7581) which provides for the imposition of price ceilings in times of emergencies, cannot provide meaningful relief because oil and related products are not part of prime commodities covered under the law.

 

Another example is the Electric Power Reform Act (EPIRA). Its Sec. 71 provided the President emergency powers during a crisis. Yet it is hardly exercised against the power oligarchs who exercise total control of the privatized power industry. We also have very strong climate commitments, yet our planned transition is very dependent on private investments and the leadership of the private sector.    

 

The State is well aware of the need for emergency intervention to prevent profiteering by private companies and protect consumers, however, market liberalization remains an overarching economic policy, thus, discourages or even disables such intervention. This situation exposes workers and farmers to the full impact of global price shocks.

 

The government must, thus, address the contradiction between emergency response and its free market policy.

 

The government must therefore consider reforming or replacing the Oil Deregulation Law an immediate agenda. Energy is a strategic necessity that should not be left to the full discretion of market forces because it would undermine both economic stability and social justice. It is time to reclaim the State’s role in ensuring affordable and accessible energy for all.

 

In addition, it should address the chronic vulnerabilities of many sectors like in the case of ordinary workers whose life of poverty and insecurity are compounded by low wages, suppressed rights, and inadequate social protection.

 

This crisis situation likewise calls for the passage of the bill for wage hike and establishing the National Minimum Wage Law.

 

PRESS STATEMENT

25 March 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

OPPOSE IMPERIALIST AGGRESSION ON VENEZUELA

Partido Manggagawa (PM) strongly condemns Trump’s military strike and kidnapping of President Maduro, First Lady Cilia, and the larger plot of the United States to invade Venezuela to effect regime change, run the country, and retake control of Venezuelan oil.

These acts—whether undertaken directly by the US armed forces, private mercenaries, or proxy actors—represent a grave violation of national sovereignty, international law, and the right of nations and peoples to self-determination.

The use of kidnapping, military invasion, and coercive regime change as political tools exposes the political and economic logic of imperialism: powerful empires believe they can decide the fate of other nations and oppress their people, overthrow governments, and seize natural resources through force.

Venezuela’s oil belongs to the Venezuelan people, not to foreign corporations, war profiteers, or imperial powers seeking to reassert control over strategic resources.

PM rejects all forms of imperialist maneuvers including kidnappings, coups, and invasions, which only deepen instability and suffering for working people.

History has shown—again and again—that imperialist led regime-change operations elsewhere do not bring democracy or prosperity. They bring war, displacement, austerity, union repression, and the plunder of public wealth.

As a workers’ party rooted in international solidarity, PM stands with the Venezuelan working class, trade unions, peasants, and communities who bear the brunt of sanctions, militarization, and economic sabotage. We oppose unilateral actions that bypass international law and undermine peaceful, diplomatic solutions.

This issue also carries urgent lessons for the Philippines and the Global South. Imperialist intervention abroad is inseparable from regional tensions now building up in the Indo-Pacific region - with the plans by the US to increase presence by re-deploying most of its foreign forces to Asia, and forming alliances with other imperialist powers to contain the rising economic and political power of rival China.

Conflicts and wars not of our own making only lead to attacks on workers at home—through rising fuel prices, militarization, shrinking social services, and the prioritization of corporate profits over people’s needs. When oil, gas, and strategic resources are treated as prizes of war, workers everywhere pay the price.

Partido Manggagawa calls on:

               ⁃             Unconditional release of President Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores, who is former President of the National Assmbly;

               ⁃             All governments to respect Venezuelan sovereignty and stop all military or covert intervention;

               ⁃             International bodies to uphold international law and reject regime-change operations led by the US;

               ⁃             The American people to defund Trump and the US military industry and rechannel the trillion $ war budget to expand social services;

               ⁃             Workers’ movements worldwide to oppose imperialist wars and resource plunder; and

               ⁃             The Philippine government to pursue an independent foreign policy that rejects alignment with imperial aggression.

No to US-orchestrated regime change elsewhere.

Yes to peace, sovereignty, and workers’ solidarity!

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

Peace, Not War: A Call for the Welfare of OFWs and the Filipino People

Photo from DMW

Middle East Conflict Fuels Oil Price Hikes, Endangers Migrants

 

Oil companies are raising prices by over P5 per liter tomorrow due to escalating conflict in the Middle East, Partido Manggagawa (PM) calls for an immediate halt to the bombings by the United States and Israel in Iran, and a ceasefire in Gaza, in defense of the safety and welfare of Filipino migrant workers and the broader public.

 

“The world needs a war against poverty not a war of aggression by Bibi and Donald. This war is not just a distant conflict—it’s a crisis that reaches our dinner tables. As war rages on, fuel prices spike, remittances decline, and working families suffer the consequences,” said Lawrence Cusipag, one of PM’s spokespersons.

 

Over 200 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) have requested return from Iran and Israel following the Department of Foreign Affairs' decision to raise the situation to Alert Level 3. Yet as they return, they face an economy plagued by low wages and rising prices.

 

The latest Israeli airstrikes on Iran have intensified regional instability and come on top of Israel’s continuing attacks on Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. The United States has provided unwavering military and financial support to Israel, even vetoing multiple UN ceasefire resolutions.

 

PM emphasizes that the roots of the conflict lie in long-standing imperialist interests—particularly control over oil and other natural resources in the region. History shows this same pattern in the US invasion of Iraq and the demonization of Iran's nuclear program.

 

“The real fight is not between nations, but against poverty. War benefits only the powerful; it is the workers and the poor who pay the price,” argued Cusipag.

 

PM demands the following:

 

Guarantee decent jobs and reintegration support for returning OFWs

 

Stop US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran

 

Implement an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and provide humanitarian aid to Palestinians

 

Advance peace, not war

Labor group calls on Congress for a P100 legislated wage hike

 

In reaction to Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello’s announcement that he had called on the regional tripartite wages boards to review minimum wages, the labor group Partido Manggagawa (PM) demanded that the proposed emergency session of Congress tackle a legislated wage hike.

 

“The regional wage boards are inutile. Natutulog sila sa pansitan sa nakaraang tatlong taon. Instead workers want Congress to pass a law mandating a P100 across-the-board wage increase,” asserted Rene Magtubo, PM national chair.

 

He explained that “Metro Manila workers last got minimum wage increase in October 30, 2018, more than three years ago. The most recent wage hike was for Region 2 in February 4, 2020, on the eve of the lockdowns. The worst off are workers in Calabarzon, where most factories are now situated, who last got a minimum wage increase in February 28, 2018. None of the regional wage boards have done anything for the pass three years since they are an instrument to cheapen wages.”

 

The group pointed to the government’s National Wages and Productivity Commission’s own data that shows that as of February 2022, the P537 minimum wage in Metro Manila is worth only P494 based on inflation since 2018. “This is of course an underestimation. Thus, we call for a P100 legislated wage hike for all workers, even for those receiving salaries above the minimum wage,” Magtubo elaborated.

 

He added that “P100 is really not enough to raise minimum wages to the level of the cost of living. Thus, a wholistic approach necessitates a cash aid, price discounts and a jobs program in response to the spike in food prices. Families of the unemployed and informal workers should be given a cash assistance of P10,000 a month. In the long-term, support for farmers must be accelerated, food sovereignty must be promoted and land conversion must be stopped. Local programs that connect farmers to consumers and workers’ communities must be encouraged.”

 

The group is also supporting the labor coalition Nagkaisa’s call for an emergency jobs creation program called unemployment support and work assistance guarantee or USWAG. PM and other labor groups coalesced under the Alliance of Labor Leaders for Leni signed a covenant the tandem of Vice President Robredo and Senator Kiko Pangilinan that calls for approximating the living wage and abolishing the system provincial wages. 

March 10, 2022

PDigong asked for an EO to abolish “provincial rates” of workers

Similar to the broad unity forged in the fight to end endo, different labor groups are now raising a common demand for a national minimum wage. The change in wage fixing from regional to national will be facilitated by a Presidential Executive Order directing the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to review and amend RA 6727 or the Wage Rationalization Act of 1989.

The Executive Order should direct the DOLE to draft a new wage fixing bill after consultation with labor, employers and other sectors. The bill should then be certified urgent to Congress by the President.

This effort will pave the way for the realization of PDigong’s promise to labor in their dialogue to end what he termed as “provincial rates” of worker’s wages.

RA 6727 and its implementing rules and regulations sets the minimum wage rates by region through the establishment of regional wage boards and a criteria for the determination of the amount of wage increases.

Left alone, the regional wage boards cannot satisfy the demand of workers for a substantial and uniform increase in the minimum wage as demanded by different labor groups. Historically, for almost three decades, the wage boards have granted minimum wage hikes that are less than PhP 1,000 per month. This is a far cry from what is needed today to augment the lives of low income workers gravely affected by the rising cost of living.

The root of this cheap labor policy is that regional wage boards base their determination of minimum wage increases on employers’ capacity to pay instead on the prevailing cost of living and living wage.

Meanwhile, aside from ordering the wage boards to motu proprio conduct public hearings, the President should clarify that they should base their determination for a minimum wage increase on the prevailing cost of living and living wage.

May 28, 2018

Sigaw sa Mayo 1: Regular na Trabaho, Umento sa Sahod, Mababang Presyo

Noong kalagitnaan ng Marso, sa harap ng isang pulong ng mga negosyante ay nanawagan si Pangulong Benigno Aquino III na maging prayoridad ng mga kapitalista ang kagalingan ng mga manggagawa. Tinawag nating “Noy-ngaling” si PNoy dahil kabaliktaran ang kanyang salita ng kanyang gawa. Kung totoong tagapagtanggol ng karapatan at kagalingan ng manggagawa si PNoy ay dapat tinutulan sa halip na sinang-ayunan niya ang tanggalan at kontraktwalisasyon sa Philippine Airlines (PAL). Di lang Noynoying si PNoy kundi Noy-ngaling pa.

Ang darating na Mayo 1 ay ikawalang selebrasyon na ng Araw ng Manggagawa sa ilalim ni PNoy. Noong nakaraang Mayo 1 ay tinuligsa natin siya sa pagpanig sa tanggalan at kontraktwalisasyon sa PAL. Sa kasalukuyan ay dapat nating usigin ang kanyang administrasyon sa patuloy na pagsisinungaling at pagtatraydor sa interes ng manggagawa na pinangakuan niyang ituring na boss.

Ganunpaman, sa harap ng patuloy na pag-iilusyon ng maraming Pilipino sa pamumuno ni PNoy, kasabay ng matalas na propaganda ng pag-usig ay dapat mapakilos ang masang manggagawa sa kagyat na mga kahilingang dapat tugunan ng gobyerno.

Sa Mayo 1, ang ating kagyat na kahilingan ay proteksyon sa regular na trabaho, pagtaas ng sweldo, at pagbaba ng presyo ng kuryente’t langis. Ito ay mga kahilingang nakatuon sa gobyerno ni PNoy upang tugunan at aksyunan. Bukod dito, mangangalampag din tayo sa pagbabago ng patakaran ng liberalisasyon, deregulasyon at pribatisasyon. Gayundin mananawagan tayo ng pagrereporma ng labor justice system.

Ang kampanya para sa regular na trabaho ay napapanatiling buhay ng patuloy na paglaban ng PALEA sa kontraktwalisasyon anim na buwan matapos ang tanggalan. Ang pagbenta ng minority share ng PAL sa San Miguel at pagpapalit ng management ay nagbubukas ng oportunidad para sa resolusyon ng labor dispute.

Pero di pa man nagtatagumpay ang PALEA na maibalik sa trabaho ang mga tinanggal ay naobliga na ang Department of Labor na maglabas ng kautusan kaugnay ng subcontracting. Pinahigpit ang mga rekisitos sa ligal na kontraktwalisasyon at hayagang kinilala na dapat tumanggap ng mga benepisyo ang mga kontraktwal at maari pang magtayo ng unyon. Ganunpaman, pinapanatiling ligal ng DO 18-A ang karamihan ng porma ng kontraktwalisasyon na sanhi ng pagkawasak ng regular na trabaho pati pagkadurog ng mga unyon.

Kumpara sa DO 18-A, hamak na mas mahigpit ang Security of Tenure (SOT) bill na nakasampa sa Kongreso at naglalayong limitahan ang laganap na kontraktwalisasyon. Gayong wala na sa kamay ni PNoy ang kaso ng PALEA, dapat pa rin siyang itulak na gawing priority legislation ang SOT bill.

Umiinit na naman muli ang usapin ng pagtaas ng sahod bunga walang tigil na pagtaas ng presyo ng langis, at kasunod nito ang pasahe’t iba pang batayang pangangailangan. May nagsampa na ng petisyon sa regional wage boards. Sa kabilang banda, nakaamba na ipasa ng House Labor Committee ang panukalang legislated across-the-board wage hike. Malayo pa bago ito maipasang batas pero binibigyang diin nito ang kakagyatan ng umento sa sahod.

Tinanggihan na ni PNoy ang pagtaas ng sahod sa katwirang walang supervening event o grabeng inflation. Ang ganitong Noynoying o kawalang aksyon ni PNoy ay dapat mabatikos habang ineengganyo ang pagkakaisa ng labor groups sa pagsusulong ng pagtaas ng sahod sa anumang porma ito makakamit.

Ang patuloy na pagtaas ng presyo ng langis sa pandaigdigang pamilihan ay mangangahulugan na ibayo pang magliliyab ang usapin ng oil price hike. Pero di ibig sabihin nito na walang magagawa si PNoy kundi mag-Noynoying sa harap ng umaarangkadang global oil prices. Ang pagtatanggal ng VAT sa mga produktong petrolyo ay isang kagyat na hakbang na maaring isagawa. Ang pagrerepaso ng oil deregulation law ay isa na ring buhay na usapin at maaring igiit ang pagbabalik ng price control sa langis bukod sa pagsasabansa ng Petron.

Katulad ng mataas na presyo ng langis, ang mahal na gastusin sa kuryente ay isang ring mabigat na pasanin ng manggagawa at maralita. Ipinagkikibit-balikat lang ng gobyerno ang problemang ito habang tinitiis ng taumbayan ang pasakit na ito. Oras nang repasuhin ang EPIRA o ang deregulasyon at pribatisasyon ng power industry.

Ang deregulasyon at pribatisasyon ng langis at kuryente ay mga matingkad na halimbawa ng delubyong dala ng globalisasyon. Sa kabilang banda, ang liberalisasyon ng ekonomiya ay nagresulta sa pagsasara ng umaabot sa 3,000 empresa bawat taon sa nakalipas na isang dekada at pagkawala ng trabaho ng daan-daang libong manggagawa. Ang hatid ng globalisasyon ay pagguho ng lokal na industriya at agrikultura sa halip na progreso at pag-unlad. Malinaw na ngayon na perwisyo kaysa benepisyo ang dulot ng imperyalistang globalisasyon. Panahon nang ibandila ang panawagan ng pagbabago ng pang-ekonomiyang patakaran.

Kasabay nito dapat maibando ang pagrereporma ng labor justice system. Ang mapait na kapalaran ng flight attendants ng PAL ay nabigyang pokus ng impeachment trial ni Chief Justice Corona. Kapalit ng platinum card ay inimpluwensyahan ni Corona ang pagbawi ng paborableng desisyon sa kaso ng FASAP.

Isang matingkad na halimbawa lang ito kung paano nabibili ng mga kapitalista ang mga husgado at nababaluktot ang hustisya. Kung ang bilyunaryong gaya ni Lucio Tan ay nagagawang impluwensyahan ang Chief Justice ng Korte Suprema, ganundin namamanipula ng mga kapitalista ang arbiters ng NLRC, mediators ng DOLE/NCMB at judges ng mga RTC at Court of Appeals. Di nakakagulat na ang ordinaryong manggagawa ay napipilitang i-areglo ang mga kaso kapalit ng barya kasya mabitag sa mga pasilyo ng labor justice system.

Ang labor unity na nagkahugis sa laban ng PALEA ay maaring punla ng pagkakaisa para isulong ang mga kagyat at pangmatagalang kahilingan. Ang kampanya sa Mayo Uno ay ekstensyon at kontinwasyon ng laban kontra kontraktwalisasyon. Ang malawak na pagkakaisa ng kilusang paggawa ang magbibigay pwersa at magbabasbas ng kredibilidad sa kampanyang Mayo Uno.

Maaga nang nasimulan ang kampanyang Mayo Uno sa pamamagitan ng Kalbaryo ng Manggagawa at Maralita. Pero di dapat magtapos ang kampanya sa isang pagkilos sa Mayo Uno. Ang mga kagyat na kahilingan ay di basta maipapanalo sa Araw ng Manggagawa. At di rin dapat magkasya sa simpleng pagsisigaw ng mga islogan sa Mayo Uno. Ang susunod na yugto at lundo ng laban ay ang pagbubukas ng Kongreso sa Hulyo at SONA ni PNoy. Ang mga kahilingang nangangailangan ng executive action ni PNoy ay maaring ang pokus ng Mayo Uno samantalang ang ibang obligado ang legislative measures ay maari namang tutukan sa SONA.

“Kalbaryo ng Manggagawa at Maralita” held in Makati

Press Release

April 4, 2012

A “Kalbaryo ng Manggagawa at Maralita’ was held in Makati today to highlight the plight and demands of workers and the poor. Some 200 members of Partido ng Manggagawa (PM), Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA) and Alyansa ng Maralitang Pilipino (AMP) participated in the “Kalbaryo.”

“The Kalbaryo is an annual tradition to remind government of the unmet demands and the heavy crosses borne by the working people. Contractual jobs, low wages, high prices and demolitions of depressed communities are the problems underscored by today’s protest,” Renato Magtubo, PM chair explained.

The Kalbaryo passed through key government agencies and private institutions in Makati in a mock stations of the cross. One protester carried a symbolic cross on his back. Some women participants held shrouds ala the legend of St. Veronica. The cross and shrouds were marked with the issues highlighted by the Kalbaryo.

The advance party of the protesters from PALEA arrived early at

Ayala Ave.

by 8:00 am to catch the employees going to work. The rest assembled at the Makati fire station by 8:30 am. At 9:00 am the Kalbaryo started with a march to Lucio Tan’s office in Allied Bank Building to assail contractualization at Philippine Airlines. Gerry Rivera, PALEA president and PM vice chair said that “To resurrect Philippine Airlines (PAL), its regular workers must be reinstated. PALEA is the solution so that PAL regains its place as Asia’s best. We say this to PAL’s old boss Lucio Tan and its new owner, the San Miguel group.”

The “Kalbaryo” then proceeded to the Employers Confederation of the Philippines office in Buendia to criticize the business group for its resistance to a wage hike. The next stop was the nearby office of the Department of Trade and Industry to draw attention to the high prices of basic commodities.

To focus on the problem of oil price hikes, the protesters then marched all the way to the Shell office in Valero. The “Kalbaryo” ended at the HUDCC office in

Makati Ave.

corner Buendia to call on the government for a moratorium on demolitions and increased budget for housing.

Magtubo added that “The Kalbaryo is a buildup to the May 1 rally. On Labor Day, workers demand reforms beyond the prosecution of Gloria and the impeachment of Corona. Workers will call on the Aquino government to heed the demands for regular jobs, wage increase and reduction in prices of oil products. Further we ask for a review of the policies of liberalization, deregulation and privatization that have led to thousands of closures and layoffs, and the collapse of industry and agriculture.”

Labor party calls for removal of VAT on oil to reduce prices

Press Release

March 16, 2012

One day after the transport protest against the unabated increases in oil prices, the Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) called on the administration of President Benigno Aquino III to remove the VAT on oil products as an immediate measure to reduce prices.

“Noynoying at oil price hikes is unacceptable. Malacanang must assuage the public that despite movements in the international price of oil, the government has the menu of options to mitigate the impact of these price movements,” insisted Jong Pacanot, PM-Davao spokesperson.

He added that the government must seriously consider demands for the removal of VAT on oil to mitigate the impact of oil price hikes which is expected to reach the 2008 level of P60/liter.  The government collects twelve percent in every liter of oil products.

 “It is unfortunate that Energy Department officials get elated with the news that there might be a ‘pause’ in oil price hikes this week while the fact remains that more than a decade since the oil deregulation law, the regime of higher oil prices has been pestering the lives of the workers and the poor,” Pacanot asserted.

The labor party added its voice in calling for the government to take decisive steps in stopping relentless hikes in oil prices. The group also asked the government to adjust the current level of wages by granting labor groups’ petitions for wage increase. Last Wednesday, PM and the Philippine Airlines Employees Association picketed the Petron headquarters in Makati City.

“Raising the consumers’ capacity to buy is also an option.  Thus, a new wage order at this point in time must be issued by the government,” Pacanot explained.

The group is open to supporting all means to raise wages from the petition filed by the TUCP at the regional wage boards to a legislated wage hike bill filed in Congress by militant lawmakers.

While supporting demand for wage hike: PALEA joins protest vs. oil price hikes

PRESS RELEASE

March 14, 2012

Locked out workers of the Philippine Airlines add their voice in calling for the government to take decisive steps in stopping relentless hikes in oil prices.

And while still battling for reinstatement after having been outsourced since October 1, 2011, members of the Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA) is also asking the government to adjust the current level of wages by granting Labor groups’ petitions for wage increase.

In a picket held at the Petron headquarters in Makati City, PALEA and Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) insisted that the energy department and Malacanang must assure the public that despite movements in the international price of oil, the government has the menu of options to mitigate the impact of these price movements. 

“It is really contemptible to see energy and Palace officials getting elated with the news that there might be a 'pause' in oil price hikes this week while the fact remains that more than a decade since the oil deregulation law, the regime of higher oil prices has been pestering the lives of the masang Pinoys,” said PALEA President Gerry Rivera.

Rivera said the government must seriously consider demands for the removal of VAT on oil to mitigate the impact of oil price hikes which is expected to reach the 2008 level of P60/liter.  The government collects twelve percent in every liter of oil products.

“Raising the consumers’ capacity to buy is also an option.  Thus, a new wage order at this point in time must be issued by the government,” added Rivera. 

The group is supporting a wage increase petition filed by the TUCP at the regional wage boards as well as the bills on legislated wage hike filed in Congress by militant lawmakers.