Teachers join Labor Day protests, press Marcos gov't on wages, workers' rights

Teachers and education workers joined Labor Day protests on Friday, calling on the Marcos administration to raise wages and uphold workers’ rights amid mounting economic pressures.

In a statement, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) said educators marched alongside labor groups to press the government on what it described as workers’ constitutional right to a living wage.

“Today, we teach. We remind this power-hungry and incompetent administration that it is the workers who run this country, who keep this system breathing. Without us, everything grinds to a halt,” ACT chairperson Ruby Bernardo said.

The protest action was held in Mendiola, Manila.

ACT said teachers and education workers are facing the same economic pressures as other labor sectors, citing low wages, limited benefits, poor working conditions, and inadequate government support.

“Magkapatid sa hirap ang mga manggagawa at mga propesyunal, kabilang ang mga guro at kawani sa sektor ng edukasyon,” Bernardo said. (Workers and professionals, including teachers and education personnel, are united in hardship.)

“Kaya ngayong Araw ng mga Manggagawa, kaisa ang buong sektor ng edukasyon sa laban para sa sahod, trabaho, at karapatan,” she added. (That is why this Labor Day, the entire education sector stands with workers in the fight for wages, jobs, and rights.)

The group reiterated its key demands, including a P50,000 entry-level salary for teachers in both public and private schools, P36,000 basic pay for Salary Grade 1 government employees, and a P1,200 national living wage for workers.

ACT also called for stronger economic relief measures, including higher allowances, price controls, the removal of value-added tax on basic goods and services, and the nationalization of the oil industry.

The group also urged the government to end contractualization, protect the right to organize and collectively bargain, and improve working conditions.

Beyond labor issues, ACT criticized the government’s foreign policy and opposed the use of Philippine territory in support of foreign military operations.

The group also accused the government of neglecting public services while allowing corruption and political patronage to persist.

“Today, we are not just marching. We are teaching,” Bernardo noted. — Sherilyn Untalan/RSJ, GMA News