Dagdag na P3,000 sahod itutulak muli

Muling isusulong ng mga kawani ng pamahalaan at militanteng manggagawa ang kampanya para sa P3,000 across-the-board wage hike. Ayon sa Confederation for the Unity, Recognition and Advancement of Government Employees (Courage), bagamat tanggap nila ang 10 percent hike sa kanilang umento na ibinigay ng Malacanang, hindi naman ito sapat upang mabuhay ng matiwasay ang mga manggagawa ng gobyerno. “On top of our legislative agenda is the campaign for a P3,000 salary increase. We are still hoping that come next Congress, with the right mix of legislators, our pleas will no longer fall on deaf ears," pahayag ni Ferdinand Gaite, lider ng Courage. Paliwanag ni Gaite, ang kasalukuyang 10% pay adjustment ay katumbas lamang ng P508.20 dagdag na sahod sa isang kawani na sumasahod ng P5,082 kada buwan o nasa salary grade 1. Hindi pa umano kasama rito ang kaltas na mandatory deductions para sa GSIS premium contributions, withholding tax, PAG-IBIG at Philhealth. Kabilang sa mga kawani na nasa salary grade 1 ay mga Metro aides, drivers, clerks, postal workers, printing workers, at administrative employees. “We have been demanding a P3,000 across the board salary increase to alleviate the plight of the lowest paid employees and benefit the majority who on the average receives P8,000. This includes the public school teachers, public nurses and hospital workers," diin niya. Sinabi pa ni Gaite na ang percentage increase ay pabor lamang sa mga opisyal ng pamahalaan na sumasahod ng malaki tulad ng mga cabinet secretaries, assistant secretaries, undersecretaries at iba pang head at official ng mga ahensiya ng pamahalaan. “This is clearly an injustice to the workers who run the mills of the government. We have waited for so long and yet for so little," aniya. Una ng sinasabi ng Courage at Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) na tanging si Pangulong Arroyo at mga matataas na opisyal ng pamahalaan ang makikinabang sa 10-percent pay hike na magiging epektibo sa Hulyo. Paliwanag ng KMU, ang dagdag sa sahod ay nakabase sa basic salary kaya maagrabyado ang mga kawani na maliit lamang ang natatanggap sa buwanang sahod. “Ordinary government employees who need the salary increase the most have been cheated again by this percentage increase. Arroyo who is salary grade 30, the highest salary for a government employee, already receiving P50,000 per month shall be receiving an additional P5,000 while a salary grade 1 employee will only receive an additional P508," ani Lito Ustarez, executive Vice-President ng KMU. - GMANews.TV