KMU to House Labor Committee: take up wage hike bill now

Three days after Labor Day and the Workers’ and People’s Day of Outrage against the Aquino government, labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno posed a challenge to Rep. Emil Ong, chairman of the House of Representatives Labor Committee, to start deliberations on a bill for a substantial wage hike.

“We challenge Rep. Emil Ong, chairman of the HOR Labor Committee: take up House Bill 375 now. It is clear from the protests last May 1 that the Filipino workers and people are clamoring for a significant wage hike as an immediate relief from the rising prices of basic goods and services, especially petroleum products,” said Elmer “Bong” Labog, KMU chairperson.

“Even Sen. Ramon ‘Bong’ Revilla Jr. has spoken up for a significant wage hike and filed Senate Bill 1981. We are challenging Chairman Ong and the rest of the House Committee on Labor to speak up and support the workers’ call for a significant wage hike,” Labog added.

HB 375 was filed by Anakpawis Partylist Rep. Rafael V. Mariano, and seeks to legislate a P125 across-the-board wage increase nationwide. The House of Representatives is scheduled to resume sessions on May 9.

“Only a P125 legislated across-the-board wage hike will give the Filipino workers and people an immediate relief for our suffering. We hope the Labor Committee will conduct hearings on HB 375 as soon as Congress resumes,” Labog added.

A bill for a P125 across-the-board wage hike nationwide has been elevated to third and final reading in the 13th Congress but was shelved amidst a vicious propaganda campaign launched by capitalists saying that a significant wage hike would result in massive lay-offs and inflation.

Data from progressive think-tank Ibon Foundation have proven this claim false, revealing that the implementation of a P125 wage hike will only amount to a 15% reduction in the profits of capitalists.

“A bill for a P125 legislated wage hike has been repeatedly filed in Congress since 2001. Our chairperson emeritus, Crispin ‘Ka Bel’ Beltran died without seeing this bill’s passage. It is high time for Congress to side with the workers on this issue. It is high time for Congress to heed the more than a hundred thousand workers and people who marched across-the-country last Labor Day,” Labog said.