KMU-Cordillera slams solon's anti-worker stand

The militant workers of the Cordillera region led by Kilusang Mayo Uno-Cordillera strongly criticize the anti-worker statement of Baguio Representative Mauricio Domogan on the long dued demand for a wage increase. " Domogan only showed who he is and to whom he serves for when he said in an interview in a local newspaper that he is not favoring the passage of the House Bill 345 or the P125 across the board, across the nation wage increase that was approved in the lower house last December 20. Instead of looking into the workers' plight, he is more concerned on how to impress capitalists and businessmen by claiming that the said wage hike would "further add to the burden of several companies that are already incurring difficulty in their operations", KMU Cordillera said.

KMU reminded Domogan that as the lone Congressman of the region, he should bear in mind that workers of the Cordillera which are his constituents are among those who will benefit as the house bill will be implemented. "Domogan should and really should take note that Cordillea workers are among the most impoverished sector in the country. Like their fellow workers all throughout the Philippines, they have been wanting for so long for a meaningful and living wage increase to ease up their economic sufferings amidst continues rising of prices of basic commodities." KMU added.

KMU also said that the Cordillera region got the smallest wage increase of P10 only compared to the other regions. The increase was implemented last August 1 last year months after the Regional Tripartite Wage and Productivity Board (RTWPB) of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) held public consultation in Baguio City with the representatives of the labor as well as the business sector. At present, the minimum wage in the region is P235 for the industrial sector and P229 for the agricultural sector. "The existing minimum wage of the workers of the region are not enough to feed a worker's family who needs at least P749 for the daily cost of living," KMU furthers.

The KMU also criticize the claim of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) that the P125 wage hike would cause disaster on the business community and on the country's economy. They even said that businessmen would have no other choice but to retrench some of their workers inorder to cope up because of the impact of the increase. According to KMU national Executive Vice President Lito Ustarez, "The business sector is very much afraid that if implanted, the P125 wage hike will give precedent to the labor sector's future demands for wage hikes both in national and company-based levels." He even stressed that while the workers' long-overdue demand for substantial wage increase victoriously passed the lower house and its counterpart bill is now gaining positive grounds in the Senate, business groups and DOLE are chorusing chaotic forecasts once the wage hike is granted. Ustarez said that the ECOPS arguments that the increase will lead to massive unemployment are nothing but a form of archaic defense to protect thair profit margins. He stressed further that ECOP must stop representing Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). "The government, through DOLE already exempted most SMEs from paying minimum wages through the Barangay Micro-Business Enterpise (BMBE) law. We all know that the most rabid, hardline oppositors to the P125 wage hike are big business owners," Ustarez said.

As far as the ECOP's claim of massive unemployment, KMU national Chairperson Elmer "Ka Bong" Labog said that that claim was answered many times before. Labog explained that massive unemployment is being brought about by the government's own wrong-doings, that is, the promotion of unfair trade and unfair labor practices attuned to globalization.

"Then and now, employers groups made clear their aversion to any wage increase. Now that the wage hike bill made it through the Congress, we have more reasons to rally and push for the implementation of the legislated wage hike," Labog said.

The KMU-Cordillera also called on Domogan to follow the noble pro-worker stand of his fellow congressmen who unselfishly supported the passage of the bill. " He should consider pleasing the majority which is the poor workers especially of the region and stop being a parrot echoing the claims of big businessmen against the wage bill, " KMU concluded.