Gloria Arroyo once again earned the ire of workers as she boasted of ‘bringing the nation into first world status in 20 years’ through an industry that highly represents servile and contractual labor.

“Making the BPO industry as a major driver of the economy will actually lead the people into a doomed world. BPOs cannot produce food for the quarter of the population who experience hunger, it can never really produce anything substantial for the people, except for cheap labor for foreign masters,” said Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) chairperson Elmer “Bong” Labog.

“Arroyo should stop further making this country a nation of servants. Likewise, she should stop buying the BPO hype dictated by the world capitalist system to dish out false promises of growth and development,” added Labog.

Exploitation

Labog cited that Filipinos are already paid the lowest among over 30 countries for the same skills. Filipino team leaders, supervisors, and managers are paid 36% to 57% less than their counterparts in China, India, Malaysia and Vietnam, according to independent databank IBON.

KMU also noted of the growing number of workers’ grievances from BPOs, as 327 cases have been filed to the National Labor Relations Commission since last year. 

False orientation

In view of the lingering global economic downturn, Labog added that BPOs have also been “hotbeds of retrenchments,” citing the experience last year when huge job cuts plagued the industry worldwide due to the crash of major economies.

“Basically, the BPOs offer unstable, contractual, and unjust form of jobs, pretending as solution to the unemployment epidemia we suffer from. But, just like the effects of false medication, the disease only gets worse,” Labog said.

“The paradox is clear: we became a nation of people able to answer calls and queries (and berated for doing so) from other countries, but not able to eat, go to school, and earn substantial wages,” Labog added.

“Only through development of basic industries that serves the needs and employment of the masses can we truly prosper as a nation, this is the lesson long ignored by the BPO fanatics.”

On Arroyo’s declaration pertaining to the rise of call centers: ‘two hundred years ago there was the agriculture revolution, then there was the Industrial Revolution, and now we have the knowledge revolution,’ KMU raised what it sees as the valid revolution of today.

“We only know of a people’s democratic revolution, waged by workers, peasants and toiling masses, that would bring true progress to our nation.” #