Manila Philippines — The increase in the wages of Filipino workers in the National Capital Region is an insult to workers, according to some labor groups in the country.
“RTWPB-NCR’s Wage Order 25, which gave P35 more to the daily wages of minimum wage earners, is an insult to the workers,” said Ka Leody De Guzman, President of Partido Lakas ng Masa (PLM).
The President of Partido Lakas ng Massa (PLM), Ka Leody De Guzman, said that this is not the solution they see for the stability of Filipino workers.
The labor union also calls the government should abolish Republic Act (RA) 6727 or the Wages Rationalization Act.
According to De Guzman, RA 6727 is just a standard employers’ capacity but not favors the workers, which have the right of living wage as stated in the 1987 Philippine constitution.
“In RA6727, the basis for setting wages is “employers capacity to pay” not the right to a living wage stated in the 1987 Constitution,” according to De Guzman in a statement.
The labor group also calls the government to certified as ‘urgent’ the legislation which pushes for additional wages in the country in the upcoming third State of the Nation Address (SONA) by President Bongbong Marcos.
“If Marcos Junior really cares for the working class, whom he praised on Labor Day, he will certify as “urgent” the legislated wage increase in the coming State of Nation Address (SONA) this month,’ said De Guzman.
For some lawmakers, the P35 wage increase is insufficient due to high prices of basic goods.
That is why the Gabriela Women’s Party condemns the additional 35 Pesos increase in the wages of Filipino workers in Metro Manila.
Brosas said, they continue to call for P1,200 the family living wage in the region, which is far from the current P645 wage of workers in the NCR.
“How can the government expect NCR workers to survive on P645 a day when the Family Living Wage stands at P1,200 and when prices continue to accelerate,” said Brosas in a statement.
The lawmaker said that it is due time for the current administration to pass the House Bill 7568 or the P750 monthly wage nationwide.
The Gabriela group will hold a mass protest during the upcoming SONA of the president Marcos to call for the living wage in the midst of the worsening crisis in the country.
“In the upcoming State of the Nation Address, the president expects that the workers will accompany it with a widespread protest to call for a living wage despite the intensifying crisis in our country,” the lawmaker said.
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