Measly P22 wage hike bodes stronger push for P125 natiowide hike

The recently-approved P22 increase in the minimum wage only in Metro Manila will push workers to fight for a legislated P125 across-the-board nationwide wage hike, labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno said today.

“Once again, we workers have seen the folly of filing petitions for minimum wage increases in regional wage boards. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: It is in the nature of RWBs to give workers only meager and sporadic wage increases. They are a trap, created to divide and weaken the nationwide struggle of workers for substantial wage hikes,” said Lito Ustarez, KMU executive vice-chairperson.

Ustarez reiterated that the recent P22 wage increase will not in any way benefit workers outside Metro Manila, proving that “what is needed is a substantial nationwide hike.”

“We stand firm in our position that calls for a substantial wage increase should be directed at the national government – the legislature and the president, in particular. It is only through a sustained and expanding militant campaign that is directed at the national government can we workers get the P125 nationwide wage hike and immediate relief that we deserve,” he added.

KMU also criticized the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines for being an accomplice to the Arroyo government’s last-ditch PR stunt for workers by taking the wage hike call to the regional wage boards (RWBs).

“True to being a pro-government, pro-business trade-union center, the TUCP again fell into the trap of filing petitions for wage hikes in the RWBs. As expected, an RWB has again given mere crumbs to workers. Now, the TUCP cannot help but feign indignation over this meager wage hike – an insult to workers which is a result of its actions,” Ustarez said.

Ustarez said the TUCP is playing into the plans of the outgoing Arroyo government and incoming Aquino government to keep wage levels down.

“The Arroyo regime will likely use the P22 wage hike for what it sees as a graceful exit ploy. The Aquino regime, on the other hand, will likely use the P22 increase to discredit workers’ call for a substantial legislated wage increase – which workers’ groups are planning to intensify in the coming months,” Ustarez said.

“The overall impact of TUCP’s yellow unionism, the Arroyo regime’s shrewd anti-worker move, and the Aquino regime’s likely pro-business attitude is to keep workers wages down. It seems that the three are in a conspiracy against a substantial wage hike,” he added.

“We are unfazed. The meager P22 increase in the Metro Manila minimum wage only clarifies to the Filipino workers and people the need to intensify the fight for a legislated P125 across-the-board increase in the minimum wage,” Ustarez concluded.