Labor Day protest: Groups reiterate call for wage hike

Workers’ groups staged protests across the country to appeal for a wage hike, particularly a P1,200 living wage and the P200 legislated wage hike, to mark Labor Day on Thursday.

Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) said they will hold protests in Manila, Baguio City, Pampanga, Laguna, Iloilo, Cebu, and Davao.

“The labor group, its regional counterparts, and allied groups call for a daily minimum wage set at P1,200, which the IBON Foundation computed as the necessary requirement to feed, clothe and shelter a family of five,” the KMU said.

The request for a P1,200 is an “urgent, necessary and just measure,” according to KMU.

“[President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s] free train rides and job fairs are mere publicity stunts. What we need is an efficient public transportation system, sufficient wages for our families, and safe and decent jobs,” KMU chairperson Elmer “Ka Bong” Labog said.

Meanwhile, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) called for a P200 legislated wage hike.

“Job fairs, rice subsidies, and free rides, which the President himself stated as ‘a small recognition of the sacrifice and the contribution of our worker,’ are no substitute for the much needed P200 legislated wage hike, which would be the first in over 36 years,” the TUCP said.

Interviewed on Unang Balita, TUCP spokesperson Carlos Miguel Oñate said the labor group will stage protests in Manila, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, and Davao.

Citing non-profit research organization IBON Foundation, Oñate said that a P200 wage hike is only 9% to 15% of the profit of employers.

“Hindi po ito usapin kung afford ng ating mga employers. Usapin po ito kung gugustuhin nila at kakayanin po nilang i-share yung kakarampot na portion ng kanilang kita para po sa kanilang manggagawa,” he said.

(It's not a matter of whether our employers can afford it. It's a matter of whether they want to and can share the meager portion of their income with their workers.)

TUCP called on Marcos to certify the bill for a P200 legislated wage hike as urgent.

KMU also criticized Marcos’ economic framework, characterized by the privatization of public services, trade liberalization, and the deregulation of key industries "to attract foreign capital at the expense of Filipino workers and people.” 

Earlier, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said that the review of the minimum wage rates in some regions is set to start this month.

Mula po sa direktiba ng ating Pangulo, magsisimula po ang pagre-review ng mga minimum wage rates ngayon pong Mayo para sa ilang mga rehiyon,” said DOLE's Bureau of Local Employment head Assistant Secretary Patrick P. Patriwirawan Jr.

(Following the directive of our President, the review of minimum wage rates will begin this May for some regions.)

Asked about the appeal of labor groups for a P200 legislated wage hike, Patriwirawan said DOLE is ready to implement this if the Congress passes the law and Marcos approves it.

“Patuloy po tayong nakikipagdiyalogo sa iba't ibang mga sector kasama po dito ang labor sector and employer sector,” he said.

(We continue to engage in dialogue with various sectors, including the labor sector and employer sector.) 

Meanwhile, Kapatid, the support organization of families and friends of political prisoners, also urged the President to order the release of 32 political prisoners from the labor sector.

"If the Marcos government is serious about honoring workers this May 1, it must immediately release labor organizers and trade unionists who remain behind bars simply for advocating decent jobs, economic justice, and basic dignity for their fellow workers," Kapatid spokesperson Fides Lim said.

"They are PIDLs—persons illegally deprived of liberty. They are not criminals but union organizers and human rights defenders falsely charged with nonbailable offenses like explosives possession. These charges are based on planted evidence and fabricated cases in places they've never even set foot in," Lim added.

Lim said that of the 32 political prisoners from the labor sector—part of the 748 held nationwide—16 are affiliated with the Kilusang Mayo Uno, nine are from Negros island including seven organizers of the National Federation of Sugar Workers, three belong to the government employees' confederation COURAGE, and the rest are members of other labor organizations.  

Likewise, Kapatid called on the government to implement the following which it described as urgent labor demands:

• free unjustly detained labor leaders and unionists.
• deliver justice for slain and disappeared unionists, including victims of the March 7, 2021 Bloody Sunday massacre such as Manny Asuncion, Steve Mendoza, and Dandy Miguel.
• stop the harassment of labor organizers and uphold their constitutional rights to freely associate, organize, and strike without fear of reprisal.
• promote workers' welfare through increased living wages and social support and
• ensure job security by regularizing workers and ending contractualization.

—with a report from Llanesca T. Panti/VAL/AOL, GMA Integrated News