Ayuda for workers facing layoffs—labor group

 

In the face of an outbreak of mass layoffs, the labor group Partido Manggagawa (PM) called on the government for ayuda for the affected workers. “By ayuda, we do not just mean immediate assistance to the thousands of workers who will become jobless in the coming months but institutionalized social protection for the entire labor force. Sa harap ng epidemya ng tanggalan, ayudang sapat para sa lahat ang sagot,” explained Rene Magtubo, PM national chair and Marikina city councilor.

 

This was the group’s reaction to the estimate by the garments industry association Confederation of Wearable Exporters of the Philippines (CONWEP) that some 9,450 to 10,800 workers may be laid off. CONWEP even forecasted a worst scenario of 27,000 retrenched workers or 10% of the total labor force in the apparel and wearable goods sector.

 

Just two weeks ago, the Sports City group of companies fired some 4,000 workers or one-fourth of its total workforce allegedly due to reduced orders from its clients. Sports City supplies to global garment brands Adidas, Under Armour, Saucony, New Balance and Lululemon.

 

“Aside from the mass layoffs at Sports City, workers also lost their jobs due to the temporary closure of Coca-Cola plants in Iloilo, Bohol, Davao, Cavite, Zamboanga, and Camarines Sur. Employees of Shopee were also fired revealing that retrenchments are along all sectors from manufacturing to services,” Magtubo elaborated.

 

He added that “The worsening economic crisis demands that the government set in place social protection systems that mitigate the impact on jobs, income, health and well-being of people. Social protection is one response to this challenge.”

 

PM is an affiliate of the labor coalition Nagkaisa which at the height of the pandemic demanded public employment, preferably in climate jobs, for unemployed workers over a period of 100 days to nine months at minimum wages or P10,000, whichever is higher. The coalition also called for wage subsidies equivalent to 75% of the prevailing minimum wage to save jobs of workers in micro, medium and small enterprises (MSMEs).

 

“If huge companies like Sports City and Coca-Cola are reeling from economic shocks, what more MSMEs, which comprise 90% of the total number of enterprises. By providing wage subsidies to workers in MSMEs, the government incentives them against shedding their employees. This also protects the purchasing power of workers which enables the economy to float instead of sink due to the crisis,” explained Magtubo.

 

In response to the demand for employment guarantees and wage subsidies by Nagkaisa, the DOLE undertook a study of a social protection floor which has remained unimplemented. “The DOLE should act now and not wait for another Sports City, another Coca-Cola or another Shopee,” Magtubo insisted.

October 14, 2022

“Naiwanan ang manggagawa”: Nagkaisa on PBBM’s first 100 days in office

 

The labor coalition Nagkaisa, on World Day for Decent Work, said the first 100 days was never a joy ride in contrast with that of President Marcos’.

 

“Naiwanan ang manggagawa,” declared Nagkaisa Chair Sonny Matula, referring to how workers’ lives are being battered by soaring inflation, food crisis, precarious working conditions, health issues, and commuting woes while public officials, most especially the President, is seen enjoying travels and parties, including the F-1 show in Singapore.

 

Today is World’s Day for Decent Work and Matula said the Philippines remains saddled with huge decent work deficits in particular low wages, contractualization, and rampant violations of labor rights including the right to life and freedom of association.

 

“The first 100 days was in fact a bumpy ride with our workers losing close to P100 in daily wage due to inflation. If the value of wages is not restored or increased to the level of a living wage, if jobs remain contractual, precarious, and labor rights are undermined, the ‘no more hungry Filipinos’ wish by this administration is highly improbable,” said Matula.

 

Nagkaisa added that the government’s job creation program is not supported by sound policies as well as budget because the premium is placed on the overstated framework of public-private-partnership (PPP) rather than on an aggressive public employment program, including creating climate and green jobs. 

Nagkaisa Labor Coalition

07 October 2022

Worker’s group marked BBM’s first 100 days with ‘F-1’

While many legislators expressed satisfaction on the way President Bongbong Marcos is running the country, workers who just lost close to P100 in the value of their daily wage due to soaring inflation gave his first 100 days with “F-1” mark.

“Kung sina congressman Gloria Arroyo at Joey Salceda ay binigyan si PBMM ng gradong ‘A+’, ang sa amin ay ‘F-1’,” said Partido Manggagawa (PM) chair Renato Magtubo.

Magtubo said racing against inflation, diminishing wages, and rising unemployment is in great contrast with how the new President is dispensing his duties by attending parties and watching the F-1 Grand Prix in Singapore.

“Our President clearly lives and leads in luxury while the working-class wallow in misery,” lamented Magtubo.

Unemployment and inflation rates were recorded at 6.9 and 5.3 per cent respectively in August and September, and labor groups see no clear policy directions on how to decisively address these problems. In fact, it even proposed a 49% cut in the budget of the labor department for 2023.

07 October 2022

Workers have lost P82 in value of wages due to inflation

Photo from ING

 

The labor group Partido Manggagawa (PM) declared that the real value of wages of workers in Metro Manila have been reduced by P82 due to worsening inflation. Yesterday, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) announced that headline inflation has risen to 6.9% for September 2022. “We call on Congress to raise wages by P100 across-the-broad so that workers can recover their lost purchasing power,” asserted Judy Ann Miranda, PM secretary-general.

 

Based on the computations of the labor coalition Nagkaisa, the P570 minimum wage in Metro Manila is only worth P488 due to increases in prices of food, electricity and other basic commodities. The PSA noted that inflation for electricity and gas were among the highest.

 

In 2018, PM had already estimated that the daily cost of living is around P1,300. “Obviously we need to update this figure as inflation has ratcheted up in the past four years. Whatever the exact number, we need urgent action from the government and Congress. Thus, our call for a P100 wage hike within the first 100 days of the new government,” Miranda insisted.

 

She added that ““The focus now is on worsening inflation that has eroded workers' nominal wages. But we have not even tackled 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.”

 

Aside from the specific wage hike demand, PM also asked for a comprehensive government response on the worsening economic crisis and other covariate shocks—man-made disasters that affect whole communities—that has led to mass layoffs. Some 4,000 garment workers were retrenched at Sports City in the Mactan Cebu export zone and a few thousand workers also lost their jobs due to the temporary closure of Coca-Cola plants in Iloilo, Bohol, Davao, Cavite, Zamboanga, and Camarines Sur. 

 

“The government must set in place social protection systems that mitigate the impact on jobs, income, health and well-being of people. Mass layoffs and strong typhoons are all covariate shocks and the new normal in our lives. Social protection is one response to this challenge,” Miranda explained.

 

PM is pushing for public employment, preferably in climate jobs, for unemployed workers over a period of 100 days to nine months at minimum wages or P10,000, whichever is higher. The group is also calling for wage subsidies equivalent to 75% of the prevailing minimum wage to save jobs of workers in micro, medium and small enterprises. 

October 6, 2022

Workers need P100 wage hike just to recover lost value of wages

 

Workers in the National Capital Region have already lost at least P80 in the value of their wages due to inflation, the Nagkaisa labor coalition said Thursday, following the 6.9% headline inflation rate reported by the Philippine Statistics Authority for the month of September.

 

“Marapat lang na may P100 wage hike sa first 100 days,” said Nagkaisa spokesman Renato Magtubo, referring to the first 100 days of the Marcos administration confronted by unmitigated rise in prices of goods and services.

 

Magtubo said their demand is merely for the recovery of the lost value of wages due to inflation and not yet for the rise in workers’ standard of living which is only possible through a living wage which is now at the range of P1,200 - P1,300/day.

 

“Wage recovery pa lamang ito. Hindi pa dito kasali ang mas malaking utang ng negosyo at gobyerno sa sweldo kung ang hahabulin ay ang mandato ng Konstitusyon ng family living wage o para makarating sa golden age ang mga manggagawa,” said Magtubo.

 

The current minimum wage in NCR is P570 per day but its real value today, according to Nagkaisa, is P488 only.

 

Nagkaisa said it will work to have a bill amending the wage setting mechanism passed while letting its affiliates file appropriate petitions in their respective regions as the situation would be more difficult in some regions where inflation rates are much higher than NCR.

 

The group also took note of the high inflation rate for electricity (21.4) and gas at 9.8 but added that while the rising inflation is rooted in the current global crisis, it didn’t help that government is failing to ensure the supply of needed commodities as can be seen in the sugar crisis fiasco and higher inflation on food products.

 

Pay hike for teachers, too

 

In celebrating Teachers Day today, Nagkaisa also joined the call by the public sector unions to raise the salary of schoolteachers as well as the hiring of more teaching and non-teaching personnel.

 

“Tapusin na ang panahon na ang mga guro ay kailangan pang magsangla ng kanilang ATM para mairaos ang pang-araw araw na buhay ng kanilang mga pamilya,” said Magtubo. 

5 October 2022

Renato Magtubo

Spokesperson

Nagkaisa Labor Coalition

 

Groups ask assurance that MEPZ workers get preferential hiring

 

Labor groups Partido Manggagawa (PM) and Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (SENTRO) are calling on Sports City to guarantee the preferential hiring of the 4,000 workers recently laid off. “We ask that Sports City commit to rehire the workers they had laid off when business picks up once more. Relatedly, we call on the Lapu-Lapu city council to exert moral suasion on Sports City for this commitment,” asserted Denni Derige, PM-Cabu spokesperson.

 

He added that “We welcome the request by the Lapu-Lapu city council for aid to the retrenched workers from the Department of Social Work and Development. Nonetheless, this is just a temporary or band-aid measure. We call on the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to fast track the discussions towards the enactment of employment guarantees and wage subsidies as permanent social protection mechanisms.”

 

“Aside from the mass layoffs at Sports City, probably another several thousand workers also lost their jobs due to the temporary closure of Coca-Cola plants in Iloilo, Bohol, Davao, Cavite, Zamboanga, and Camarines Sur. The worsening economic crisis and other such covariate shocks—man-made disasters that affect whole communities—demand that the government set in place social protection systems that mitigate the impact on jobs, income, health and well-being of people. Mass layoffs and strong typhoons are all covariate shocks and the new normal in our lives. Social protection is one response to this challenge,” Derige explained.

 

PM and SENTRO are both members of the labor coalition Nagkaisa which at the height of the pandemic demanded for public employment, preferably in climate jobs, for unemployed workers over a period of 100 days to nine months at minimum wages or P10,000, whichever is higher. The coalition also called for wage subsidies equivalent to 75% of the prevailing minimum wage to save jobs of workers in micro, medium and small enterprises (MSMEs).

 

“If huge companies like Sports City and Coca-Cola are reeling from economic shocks, what more MSMEs, which comprise 90% of the total number of enterprises. By providing wage subsidies to workers in MSMEs, the government incentives them against shedding their employees. This also protects the purchasing power of workers which enables the economy to float instead of sink due to the crisis,” explained Derige.

 

In response to the demand for employment guarantees and wage subsidies by Nagkaisa, the DOLE undertook a study of a social protection floor which has remained unimplemented. “The DOLE should act now and not wait for another Sports City or another Coca-Cola,” Derige insisted. 

October 3, 2022