Labor chief backs increased salaries for nurses amid COVID-19 pandemic

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III called for a salary increase for nurses to convince more health workers to stay in the country amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bello made the response when asked as to why around 200,000 nurses in the country are unemployed even if the Department of Health already launched an emergency hiring program. 

“We need to upgrade the salary of nurses, especially sa private sector. Paano ka naman makukumbinsi kung ikaw pa ang nagbabayad [ng mga kailangan mo]?” Bello said in an ANC interview. 

“Ang nangyayari, 10 to 12 hours ang duty nila. Ang suweldo, P9,000, P15,000, maximum P18,000. Nag-aaral sila nang matagal tapos ganyan ang gagawin mo sa kanila? You cannot cannot blame them [if they want to leave],” Bello added.

Bello said that he himself and Health Secretary Francisco Duque III need to go to Congress to call for a passage of the law that would increase the salaries of nurses.

Likewise, Bello said nurses should file a complaint if they are being deprived of the benefits due them. 

“They also have a responsibility to stand for their rights. Gather yourselves even for a day and file a complaint. Ewan ko kung maka-operate iyang mga ospital na ‘yan,” Bello said.

The government has suspended deployment of Filipino health workers abroad amid the COVID-19 pandemic, only allowing new hires who have completed their requirements on or before March 8 to leave. 

The suspended deployment was eased on Monday, allowing all returning health workers and new hires who secured requirements by August 31 to leave the country. 

Earlier this month, the Filipino Nurses United (FNU) called for an increase in the minimum wage and benefits of nurses working in the private sector, saying they also render the same service as colleagues in the public sector. —Llanesca T. Panti/KG, GMA News