Workers to Congress: Don’t exploit Middle East crisis to kill wage reform bill

 

Photo from ABS-CBN.com

The Partido Manggagawa (PM) on Wednesday called on the leadership and members of the House of Representatives to stay focused and continue deliberation of the bill abolishing the provincial rate in the face of the escalating military conflict in the Middle East.

 

PM Chair and former partylist representative Renato Magtubo made this call amid fear that the ongoing war could trigger restraint among policymakers, for instance, preventing the enactment of the Kamanggagawa wage reform bill which is awaiting plenary approval at the House of Representatives prior to the outbreak of the Middle East crisis.

 

Local pump prices of oil have started to spike despite the assurance made by the Department of Energy (DoE) that the country has enough inventory. The Philippine peso weakened further since Monday. Prices of agricultural inputs are expected to rise also as more than 80% of fertilizer supply is imported.

 

“Our economic managers, in tandem with capital, are very clever at throwing a monkey-wrench to any wage proposal even under normal conditions. Now they will surely exploit the Middle East crisis to kill the wage reform bill. The House must shield itself from this kind of pressure,” stated Magtubo.

 

Abolishing the provincial rate by establishing a national minimum wage and designating the NCR rate as floor wage is an initial step aimed at rectifying 36 years of injustice under the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB), explained Magtubo.

 

“Living wage remains the ultimate ‘regime change’ workers will continue to demand,” added Magtubo.

 

“Nadamay at pinahirapan na nga tayo ng ‘regime change’ project ni Donald Trump at Netanyahu sa Iran. Huwag nang dagdagan pa ang pasaning ito sa pamamagitan ng pagpatay sa panukalang wage reform law,” concluded Magtubo.

PRESS RELEASE

Partido Manggagawa

04 March 2026