Comelec's Suspension of PI Proceedings: Merely a Truce in an Escalating Power Struggle

 

In the midst of an intensifying power struggle between the competing dynasties of the UniTeam coalition, the Nagkaisa Labor Coalition views the recent suspension of the people's initiative (PI) proceedings by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) as nothing more than a temporary truce.

 

The labor group stated this view while holding another picket outside the Senate Building on Tuesday, coinciding with the scheduled committee hearing on alleged irregularities in the PI process.

 

The Senate action was also part of Nagkaisa’s continuing campaign to press for the enactment of the P150 across-the-board wage hike, end to endo, and other economic measures to address the rising cost-of-living crisis, which for them requires immediate action from Congress and the Executive rather than to revising the Constitution at this point in time.

 

“Chicha hindi chacha ang kailangan ng mga manggagawa, lalong hindi ang pumili sa pagitan ng polvoron o fentanyl,” asserted Partido Manggagawa (PM) Secretary General Judy Miranda, as she dismissed claims about the benefits arising from constitutional amendments.

 

Josua Mata, Secretary General of Sentro ng Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (SENTRO), observed that the recent counter-rally in Davao on January 28 has further intensified the conflict between former allies within the UniTeam, and it looks like the war of dynasties has reached the point of no return.

 

“Hindi pa patay ang PI,” Mata insists, noting that the Comelec’s suspension of PI proceedings might only be a tactical move to buy more time for both sides to strategize.

 

Both Miranda and Mata emphasized the importance of exposing the political and economic motives behind the House-led push for charter change through PI, at the same time cautioning against allowing the anti-charter change narrative to be co-opted by the Duterte dynasty for their own political gain.

 

Addressing President Duterte's shifting stance on charter change, they remarked, "Duterte may attempt to rebrand himself as an opponent of charter change, but his track record speaks volumes about his true intentions."

 

They reminded the Senate that it was Duterte who vetoed the Security of Tenure bill passed by Congress, failed to fulfill his promise of abolishing the provincial rate system in wage setting, and destroyed unions through red tagging during his term, “therefore making him a sham ambassador of the anti-chacha campaign that he wants to elevate into a war against Bongbong Marcos and Martin Romualdez.”

 

In conclusion Nagkaisa! urged the Senate to prioritize pressing issues such as the proposed P150 wage hike and highlights the importance of distinguishing authentic agenda to improve the lives of workers from the personal and partisan political interests of the warring political dynasties.

PRESS RELEASE

Nagkaisa! Labor Coalition

30 January 2024

https://www.facebook.com/partidomanggagawa/posts/pfbid02dqzW4Fnf2aN9Fw5K2XA1vdr3ZD82TkLX2tCSU3vYSULEMscQU5WYVxfsoYNVXC7zl

Workers won’t support war despite US assurance under MDT

Photo from Rappler

 

Filipino workers will never support any war even with the renewed assurance that the US will go side-by-side with the Philippines as provided under the Mutual Defense Treaty, said Partido Manggagawa (PM) in a statement, following US Vice President Kamala Harris’ meeting with President Marcos last Monday, November 21.

 

“We are for demilitarization and de-escalation of war threats in the West Philippine Sea and other regional flashpoints,” declared PM Chair Renato Magtubo, stating that the endless warmongerings between the two superpowers on WPS and Taiwan disputes do not serve the interest of the working people.

 

Magtubo argued that in every imperialist war, only foot soldiers and workers die in battle while the emperors and their generals partake with the booty. In the case of the Philippines, a war in the region is to the delight of giants whose agenda is global hegemony and control of trade routes.

 

“Hence, we call on governments of both the US and China to back off, demilitarize the oceans and let the peace-loving people of Asia enjoy genuine cooperation in the region,” said Magtubo.

 

The group asserts that rather than annihilation, war is better waged against poverty and inequality especially at a time the world’s people are facing multiple crises in health, the economy, and climate.

 

“In fact, Filipino workers have their own war to win - a Wage Increase for Wage Recovery or WIN WAR that the government of President Marcos must seriously address,” said Magtubo.

 

PM has been calling for a wage increase of P100 across-the-board to recover lost value of wages due to soaring inflation. 

22 November 2022

Labor group slams ATM fee hike

 

The labor group Partido Manggagawa (PM) declared its opposition to the planned increase in ATM fees. “Charging P15 per withdrawal is already burdensome. Doubling the fee would be onerous on workers receiving their wages through payroll ATM accounts,” stated Rene Magtubo, PM national chair.

He explained that “P15 is almost 3% of the daily minimum wage in NCR. Worse it is around 4% of the daily of a minimum wage earner in the Cavite economic zone. Doubling the ATM fee would mean banks taking 6 to 8% of the minimum wage of workers per withdrawal. This is highway robbery.”

The group called on the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to use its regulatory power to freeze once more any ATM fee hikes. PM also supported the congressional inquiry on the issue.

“We call on the bankers to moderate their greed. Unlike workers’ wages, banks’ profits are higher by 26% compared to last year,” Magtubo opined.

He reminded the banks that workers are forced to withdraw from ATM’s since salaries are now commonly received through payroll accounts. “It is no fault of the workers that they have to transact through ATM’s. And of course, the most convenient way is to access your account is from the nearest ATM which is not necessarily one from their payroll bank. Workers would not want to waste time and fare by going to their own bank’s ATM if is one or several rides away.”

August 13, 2019

Women workers candlelight protest tonight

Media Advisory

April 30, 2019

Partido Manggagawa

Contact Judy Ann Miranda @ 09228677522

Women workers candlelight protest tonight

What: Women workers to raise demands on endo, wages and TRAIN

When: Tonight (April 30), 7 p.m.

Where: Mendiola

Details: Some 100 informal working women and students of PUP to lead a mass action tonight as a build up to the Labor Day mobilization of workers. 

PHOTO OPPORTUNITY: Candle lighting protest 

The issues to be raised are:

End endo! End provincial wage!

Stop TRAIN! Presyo ibaba!

Sahod itaas!

Ipatupad 105 days Expanded Maternity Leave!

Tomorrow PM and its affiliated organizations will assemble at the Petron gas station, Blumentritt along the eastbound side of Espana at 7 a.m. The group will march to Welcome Rotonda at 8 a.m. to link up with other groups for a program. And then the Labor Day march led by the Nagkaisa labor coalition will start at 9 a.m. and end at Mendiola. PM will also hold Labor Day mobilizations at Cebu, Bacolod, Davao and Iligan.

P25 is alms not relief to overworked yet underpaid NCR workers

DOLE Sec Bello announced this morning the P25 wage hike earlier leaked by ECOP as if it was a moment of glory for him. P25 is just alms not relief to overworked yet underpaid Filipino workers. P25 cannot compensate for the 7% runaway inflation in Metro Manila and real wage stagnation despite 50% productivity growth from 2001 to 2016.

The whole controversy about the NCR wage hike just proves that no matter how hard workers make a devotion to Santo Rodrigo, they will not be blessed with a sufficient wage order. The problem lies in the system of wage regionalization in which wage boards base their wage hikes on the capacity to pay of employers and not on the cost of living of workers.

P25 is short by 30% to make up for the P35.84 erosion in wages due to the 7% inflation in the NCR recorded in August this year. Partido Manggagawa’s own cost of living estimate for a family of five in Metro Manila is around P1,300 a day, more than double the new minimum wage of P537.

Even if the NCR wage board had ordered a P35.84 wage hike, it still means real wages are just frozen. But workers should partake of a just share in the fruits of production as mandated by the Constitution

Government and employers representatives control the majority of the regional wage boards and they connive to fix wage cheap on the argument of capacity to pay. Sec. Bello himself asserted today in the presscon, in response to questions, that wage hikes are tempered by the criteria of capacity to pay.

Why is it that when employers buy the labor power of workers, their capacity to pay is paramount but when workers buy their daily necessities, their capacity to buy is not considered? This is the double standard of capitalism!

This latest episode is a wakeup call for organized labor to unite around the call to abolish the wage boards and enact a new system of wage fixing that will implement the Constitutional mandate of a living wage for workers. The labor movement has shown the capacity to unite around the demand to end endo. It is high time to rally round the call for end wage regionalization.

November 5, 2018

Workers more concerned with lost buying power than the missing files of Sen. Trillanes

The Partido Manggagawa (PM) has accused President Duterte of wasting his time and power in  neutralizing his political opponents rather than in arresting the deluge of high prices, saying that at the moment workers are more concerned with their lost purchasing power than the missing amnesty files of Sen. Trillanes.

“Ang problema ng manggagawa ngayon ay ang nagtataasang presyo at bumabagal na ekonomiya hindi ang rebelyon ni Trillanes noon laban kay Gloria,” lamented PM chair Renato Magtubo.

Trillanes, a fierce critic of President Duterte, is contesting the latter’s attempt to lock him up by revoking the amnesty privilege granted to him by President Benigno Aquino III in 2010.  Duterte revoked Trillanes’ amnesty because his application form is reportedly missing from DND records.

“This move is easier to figure out now as the void ab initio principle applied to Trillanes is preceded by the quo warranto approach employed against CJ Sereno. This revocation can be as stealthy as quo warranto but for whose gain? A fascist’s appetite for absolute power is not the same with the workers’ desire for economic relief,” said Magtubo.

The group complained that while workers are losing their buying power due to runaway inflation, the President remains preoccupied with consolidating power and the persecution of his political adversaries.

“You cannot stop Sen. Trillanes and other critics from speaking their minds on many issues especially now that economic problems are weighing down the poor. What you can surely prevent is the worsening of inflation by stopping your TRAIN and repressing market manipulation by unscrupulous traders and businessmen. But where are you on this issue, Mr. President?” asked Magtubo.

Inflation hits a national average of 6.4% last month, the highest since 2009. NCR posted a higher rate at 7% while ARMM had 8.1%.

“Ang hinahanap dapat ng Pangulo ay ang solusyon sa problemang ito hindi ang nawawalang file ng kalabang senador,” concluded Magtubo.

6 September 2018

Labor, church groups unite in the “Martsa ng mga Manggagawa” to Mendiola today

The Church-Labor Conference (CLC) comprised of different labor and church groups joined the protest action on National Heroes Day dubbed as Martsa ng Manggagawa at Mamamayan Laban sa Karahasan at Pagbagsak ng Kabuhayan. 

“Filipino workers, our modern day heroes, will condemn the Duterte government, for further legitimizing contractualization, pressing down wages through the TRAIN Law, and violent curtailment of basic trade union and human rights,” asserted Rene Magtubo, chair of Partido Manggagawa and also co-chair of CLC.

The CLC assembled along UST, España at 9:00 am. After holding a short program, the group marched with the contingent from Welcome Rotunda towards Mendiola for the main program. 

“We welcome the solidarity of various church groups and their support for the workers demand for lower prices, higher wages, regular jobs and labor rights in the rally today,” averred Magtubo.

He observed that inflation rose from just 3% last December to more than 6% in Metro Manila since the implementation of TRAIN in January. “In the face of this, wage boards in nine regions gave paltry salaries hikes. Duterte’s promise of abolishing regional wages is just as broken as his end endo pledge,” Magtubo added.

The groups warned the government to heed workers legitimate demands lest it further leads to the escalation of labor unrest. Notices of strikes and actual strikes are on the rise, especially in the last several months.

Workers of the leading cigarette firm Philip Morris Fortune Tobacco Corp. (PMFTC) are on the verge of a strike because of a dispute over the closure of its Vigan, Ilocos Sur redrying plant and the mass layoff at its Marikina factory. Some 90 and 220 workers were affected respectively by the shutdown and retrenchment. After the Martsa ng mga Manggagawa, the PMFTC labor union convened a general assembly this afternoon to unite its membership for a strike vote planned in the next few days.

“The Constitution mandates that workers receive their fair share of the fruits of production. But at PMFTC, retrenchment was the company’s reward for increased labor productivity and workers meeting key performance indicators. What kind of system is this?,” argued Magtubo, who is a former president of the Marikina union.

The Lucio Tan Group recently announced a P3.63 billion total income for the first quarter of this year. Some P2.35B or 65% of the total income of the Lucio Tan Group came from its tobacco business.

The PMFTC labor union is alleging unfair labor practice over the closure and retrenchment. The union slammed the bad faith and deceit attending the so-called right-sizing plan of management. The group believes that union busting is the real agenda as the non-union sister factory in Sto. Tomas, Batangas just regularized 100 contractual employees. In contrast, the Marikina and Vigan plants are both unionized factories.

August 27, 2018

P1,300 daily, P39K monthly needed to live decently—labor group study

A cost of living survey by the labor group Partido Manggagawa (PM) found that a family of five in the National Capital Region needs P1,300 daily or P39,000 monthly to live decently as of May 2018.

PM’s cost of living estimate is in stark contrast to the “hypothetical scenario” of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) of a P10,000 monthly budget for a family of five.

“NEDA’s assessment is utterly erroneous. Just to cite one flaw. NEDA alleges that P959 out of the P10,000 is allotted for rice. Such a budget can only buy 30 kilos of P32 NFA rice—which is hard to find in the market—for one month or 1 kilo per day to be shared by 5 people. This translates to just one cup (200g) per person per day or around 250 calories, far below the recommended daily calorie intake of 1,500-2,000. P10,000 means malnourished and stunted workers and children,” explained Rene Magtubo, PM national chair.

In PM’s own study, P3,150 monthly are needed to buy daily 2.5 kilos of the cheapest commercial rice at P42. Of the P39,000 monthly budget, 44% is earmarked for food and 56% for non-food items. Utilities like electricity, water and cooking gas make up 8%, house rent 15%, transportation expenses 11% and education needs 13% of the total budget.

“Our cost of living study is in fact an underestimation as it does not provide for leisure and recreation, savings or social security which should comprise 10% as a standard or for a house help which is a necessity if the government insists that both parents must work to sustain the family,” Magtubo averred.

PM is calling for a substantial wage hike and national minimum wage as promised by President Rodrigo Duterte. The group is supporting pending bills calling for a national minimum wage of P750 to P800.

Magtubo insisted that “The focus now is on worsening inflation that has eroded workers nominal wages. But hardly noticed is growing inequality due to the stagnation of real wages while productivity is booming. From 2001 to 2016, labor productivity grew by at least 50 percent, yet the real wages did not grow at all. Workers have been denied their fair share in the fruits of production.” 

Cost of Living Estimate

for a family of 5 living in NCR (May 2018)

Items	Volume/Cost	Daily Cost	Monthly Cost	% share
Food & Beverages			17,446.50	44.33
rice	2.5kg/day x P42 (sinandomeng)	105	3,150
ulam & gulay	3 servings (P82/pax/day x 5 pax)	410	12,300
seasoning	2kg onion (P97/kilo), 1kg garlic (P110/kilo)	10.13	304
fruits	4kg  x P60 (banana)	8	240
cooking oil	2 liters x P106	7.07	212
sugar	2kg x P56.25	3.75	112.5
soy sauce	1 liter P42	1.40	42
vinegar	1 liter P34.50	1.15	34.50
fish sauce	1 liter P53	1.77	53
coffee	2 (100g) x P76.25	5.08	152.50
milk	3 (900g) x P282	28.20	846
Utilities			3,358	8.53
electricity	200kwh (P10.90/kwh)	72.67	2,180
water	20cu.m. (P23.95/cu.m)	15.97	479
LPG	1 cylinder	23.30	699
House rental			6,000	15.25
	1 month rent	200	6,000
Toiletries			1,027.05	2.61
soap	6 bars (135g) x P40.50	8.10	243
shampoo	2 (180ml ) x P101.90	6.79	203.80
sanitary napkins	3 (packs of 8) x P42.75	4.28	128.25
toothpaste	2 (150ml) x P77.50	5.17	155
laundry soap	24 (70g pack) x P5.50	4.40	132
deodorant	2 (40ml) x P82.50	5.50	165
Education			5,170.83	13.14
miscellaneous fees	3 pax x P750 = P2250/schoolyear	6.25	187.50
school allowance	100 x 2 pax & 50 x 1 pax/day x 22 days x 10 months = P55,000/yr	152.78	4583.33
theatre tickets	1 ticket x P200/grading x 4 periods x 3 pax/schoolyear = P2,400	6.67	200
school projects	2 subjects x P100 /grading x 4 periods x 3 pax = P2,400/schoolyear	6.67	200
Health			450	1.14
ascorbic acid	5 (1 tablet ascorbic acid generic) X P3	15	450
Communications			1,500	3.81
phone or cellphone	at least P25/day load x 2	50	1,500
Transpo expenses			4,400	11.18
fare to and from work	2 pax x P100/day x 22days	146.67	4,400
Total		P1,311.77	P39,352.38

NOTES:

1.     Family is composed of a couple with 3 children. Children are all in public schools (2 HS level and 1 elementary), school supplies, work books expenses, internet use for research are not yet included

2.     Basket does not include bill for a house-help

3.     Utilities such as electricity and water vary from time to time depending on consumption

4.     No item for leisure/recreation

5.     Health budget does not include medical expenses

6.     No budget allotted for savings.  NWPC basket provides 10% of the total

June 7, 2018