Moratorium on wage increases will worsen the exploitation of crisis-crippled workers - KMU

The Kilusang Mayo Uno condemns the Malacanang plan to implement moratorium on wage increases or suspend increases in salaries due to the financial crisis in the world that included the Philippines.

According to Prestoline Suyat, KMU Spokesperson, precisely because of the crisis workers’ wages should be increase, specially if their families solely depend on the salary for existence.

“The wages are already quite low specially if we compare its nominal value with its true value, so the more we need the wage increases. In the NCR, based on the findings of the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC), the nominal P382 minimum wage has a current purchasing power of only P246.77. The cost of living for a family of six members is already more than P900,” said Suyat.

Suyat added that workers’ families need more money for expenses during this time of crisis which is usually exploited by unscrupulous businessmen.

“An example is the current inability of the Macapagal-Arroyo government to stop the spike of LPG prices because of the greed of giant oil corporations. If the prices of basic commodities keep on spiraling and there is moratorium on wage increases, where shall we get the money for additional expenses? Good for the capitalists with surplus money, they got properties and jewelries that they can sell if they ran out of cash. On our part, we got no alternative but to be willing victims of 5-6 creditors and reduce our meals to two per day, just to be able to report for work the next day,” stressed Suyat.

Suyat also explained that to prevent job losses almost all the recommendations of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and Malacanang are geared towards exploitative and worse labor flexibility arrangements.

“Since the implementation of the worse labor flexible arrangements like reduced work hours, reduced work shifts, work rotation, and broken time the more we find ourselves in the losing end. All of these result to lower income for us. Woe unto them that instead of increasing our wages they intend to further reduce it,” added Suyat.

Suyat emphasized that there is urgent need today to pass the pending P125 House bill for the P125 wage increase, across-the-country, across-the-board. # # #