Labor group slams Laguesma’s doomsday scenario

The labor group Partido Manggagawa (PM) slammed DOLE Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma for speculating that the P100 legislated wage hike will have an adverse impact on the economy, especially on small and medium enterprises.

 

“Labor Secretary Laguesma is singing the same old song with employers about economic difficulties once workers are granted a substantial wage hike. But they are singing out of tune as their doomsday scenario is refuted by economic indicators. Inflation and unemployment subsided since regional wages were increased in the latter half of 2023,” stated Rene Magtubo, PM national chair and Marikina city councilor.

 

PM welcomed the plenary deliberations in the Senate on the proposed P100 legislated wage hike bill. PM and other groups in Nagkaisa are returning to the Senate on Tuesday for a bigger action to demand the passage of the proposed nationwide salary increase and also call for the scrapping of the charter change proposal.

 

According to latest figures from the Philippine Statistics Authority, headline inflation as of January 2024 is at a very low 2.8%, much reduced from the 4.7% in July 2023, when the NCR wage board ordered a P40 minimum wage hike. Inflation for year 2022 was 5.8%. Meanwhile unemployment is at 3.1% as of December 2023, down from 4.8% in July 2023. In 2022, annual unemployment was at 5.4%.

 

After the NCR wage board issued an order, other regional boards successively granted minimum wage increases in the succeeding months of 2023 and up to January this year.

 

“Workers in all regions got minimum wage hikes in 2022. Further, all regional wage boards, except the one in BARMM, issued wage orders in 2023. In all that time, inflation and unemployment went on a secular decline in opposition to the dire predictions of employers and the DOLE,” Magtubo explained.

 

He added that “We call on the Senate and the House not to be blackmailed by the apocalyptic forecasts of enemies of the working class.”

 

PM has been advocating for “Chicha not chacha” in the face of the trapo-driven people’s initiative and the proposed Resolution of Both Houses 6. The group argues that the pro-worker and social justice provisions of the Constitution must be enforced. PM opposes amending the Constitution to pave the way for more foreign control of the economy and greater trapo domination of politics.

February 10, 2024