KMU denounces TUCP’s anti-labor no wage increase call

Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU or May First Movement) denounced Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) for its “no wage increase call”.

According to Alex Aguilar, TUCP’s spokesperson, the group is “delaying our call for wage increase due to the ongoing financial crisis.” Further, Aguilar said that demanding for economic relief from the government is not among their priorities due to the same reason.

KMU, however, firmly stands that TUCP’s call for no wage increase is anti-labor and favors only the capitalists. Recent findings of KMU reveal that while corporations operating in the country are being affected by the economic downturn, they are still far from experiencing losses that they are now mouthing to their workers as the reason for wage increase moratorium.

According to Elmer Labog, KMU’s chairperson, the global economic downturn is actually a reason to increase workers’ wages and to demand for economic relief. “Because workers and other poor sectors of the society bear the heaviest blow of the crisis, it is but just and logical to demand for wage increase and economic relief,” stressed Labog. “TUCP’s call for no wage increase actually favors the capitalist who are becoming greedier for profits,” he added.

KMU has been relentless in fighting for wage increase through the P125 wage increase campaign. Currently, Anakpawis and other progressive partylists push for P125 across-the-board wage increase at the Lower House. “In this time of crisis, wages have to be increased to help workers cope with the effects of the crisis, including the surging cost of basic commodities and other needs of the people,” furthered Labog.

Presently, the approved minimum wage is pegged at P382 while the daily cost of living has soared to more than P900 in the National Capital Region. “There is a great disparity between the earnings of workers and the daily needs of their families. Apparently, there is a need to increase wages in order for workers to survive amid the worsening crisis,” explained Labog.

Also, Samahan Laban sa Tanggalan at Kontraktualisasyon (STK or Workers Association Against Lay-Offs and Contractualization) and KMU are determined to push the P10,000 economic relief for workers who have been victims of massive lay-offs. National Economic Development Authority chief Ralph Recto himself prescribed the said amount that can doled out from the P104 billion presidential social fund.

According to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) itself, more than 50,000 workers have already been laid off nationwide since October last year. DOLE, meanwhile, said that 200,000 cases of lay-offs are to be expected at the end of first half of the year. Gilda Sumilang, STK’s spokesperson, said that "the economic relief should be immediately prepared and distributed to the laid off workers as their number becomes more and more significant."

“Thus, TUCP’s no wage increase call is an apparent mark of what the group espouses: yellow unionism,” declared Labog. “Over the years, TUCP’s obvious pretensions as a genuine labor center have been continuously exposed by KMU. This group has always supported anti-labor policies of the government while pretending to be on the side of the workers,” expounded Labog.

“The dire situation of the workers in this time of crisis should be seriously considered by the government. Workers' wages should be increased and the economic relief should be provided the soonest posible time,” imparted Labog.