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Teachers protest ‘scant’ pay hike in proposed 2020 budget, push for P30k monthly pay
The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) are pressing on its demand for a P30,000 entry-level salary for educators as they protested the measly pay hike in the proposed 2020 budget approved by the House of Representatives.
On Monday, public school teachers lined up to form a "30K" mark at the Carlos Albert High School in Quezon City as they kicked off a two-week campaign to assert the minimum monthly salary they need.
“The House of Representatives have made itself a stamp pad of the Duterte administration by passing in haste the 2020 budget after a sham deliberation. It is therefore demanded of us to intensify our actions in order to register our unyielding call for substantial pay hike,” ACT NCR Union president Vladimer Quetua said in a statement.
According to the ACT, the P31 billion of which were allocated for pay hike, is equivalent to an increase of only P61 per day, if divided between the 1.2 million workers nationwide.
The group said that this is not enough as their purchasing power continues to weaken amid present economic conditions.
“TRAIN Law cost us more than it brought us any relief. Not only did it raise the excise taxes, which burdened low-salaried workers more than the rich, its revenues were not used for people’s welfare," Quetua said.
“We nevertheless challenge our legislators to uphold its autonomy and conduct a sincere and judicious deliberation of the people’s coffers, and ensure that it will be allotted to programs that will better the lives of Filipinos,” he added.
Before classes started in June, ACT also demanded a decent wage hike.
Teachers and other government employees will hold a unity march in Mendiola on October 4 to cap off the campaign. — RSJ, GMA News
