Presidential bet Ka Leody vows push for wage workers' rights

Labor leader and presidential candidate Leody de Guzman vowed on Saturday to push for the country’s wage workers’ rights if he wins in the upcoming May 9 polls.

In a Facebook post on Friday, De Guzman bared his agenda for at least 26.3 million wage workers in the country.

“Bumibilang ng 26.3 milyon ang sahurang manggagawa sa bansa, mula sa kabuuang 41.5 milyong employed (2018 data). Ang kanilang pinagsamang sipag at tiyaga, talino at talento, husay at abilidad ang nagpapainog sa lokal na ekonomya,” he said.

(There are 26.3 million wage workers in the country, out of a total of 41.5 million employed based on 2018 data. Their combined diligence and perseverance, intellect and talent, skill and ability revolve around the local economy.)

“Ngunit sa kabila ng kanilang kontribusyon sa progreso, hindi pumapatak sa kanila ang pag-unlad na ipinangako ng ‘trickle down economics,’” he added.

(But despite their contribution to progress, the promised “trickle down economics” has failed them.)

Among De Guzman’s agenda are:  

1. Right to union and strike
2. Implementation of constitutional provisions on labor including living wage, full employment and job security, and collective bargaining
3. To push for standard benefits for workers including 50% overtime rate, one-month separation pay, 14th month pay, 126 days paid maternity leave, monthly pension, tax breaks, and housing benefits
4. Reforms in labor justice, representation, and participation in government including Labor Code Amendment at DOLE-NCR reorganization, participation in government, and workers representation.

Earlier, the labor leader said that he would reopen manufacturing in the Philippines so that the country would make more of its own products, and this would create more jobs as well if elected president.

He also reiterated that his plan to reduce the number of work hours without a wage cut would also create more jobs.

De Guzman is known for his pro-poor and pro-workers stances, vowing that his administration would focus on policies on labor and not on business to help regular workers.

Gunshots were fired during De Guzman's visit with the Indigenous Peoples (IPs) of Manobo-Pulangiyon in Barangay Butong, Quezon, Bukidnon Province earlier this month. —LBG, GMA News