[Lacierda’s tirades vs. KMU] Malacañang trying to cover up ugly record on labor issues

Labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno lashed back at the Aquino government over Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda’s statement that the workers’ group is a “professional critic” of the administration, saying the government is using cheap shots to cover up its ugly record on labor issues.

One day before Labor Day, Lacierda said that KMU has said “nothing good” about the Aquino government, citing improved employment figures.

“In its desperation to cover up its failure to heed workers’ demands, the government is resorting to cheap shots against the KMU. It is dismissing workers’ legitimate demands on the issue of wages, contractualization, oil prices, demolition of poor communities, Hacienda Luisita, and US troops,” said Elmer “Bong” Labog, KMU chairperson.

“The presidential spokesperson seems to have ran out of words to prettify the Aquino government’s ugly record on labor issues. He found it easier to attack the messenger than to deal with workers’ legitimate calls. He is a professional attack dog of big business, hacienderos, and the US ,” he added.

Employment

KMU said the Aquino government has nothing to brag about the country’s employment situation, saying Aquino’s first full year in office witnessed a measly decrease in unemployment.

The labor center cited data for 2011 from the National Statistics Office showing a reduction in the ranks of the unemployed from 7.3 per cent to 7 per cent, amounting to a measly 100,000 reduction.

“Underemployed” is defined as employed people who signify the desire to work for longer hours in their present work or find an additional job, or a new job with longer working hours.

“Its first full year in office shows that the Aquino government is a failure in job generation. It has relied on foreign investors to generate employment in the country,” Labog said.

KMU also said that the increase in the underemployed from 18.8 percent in 2010 to 19.3 percent in 2011 – which translates to more than 186,000 – shows that it is low-quality jobs which account for the slight increase in employment.

“Pres. Aquino is also a failure in improving the quality of jobs available to Filipinos. His government has generated only low-quality jobs, those with short work hours and meager wages,” Labog said.

“Despite the growing clamor from workers and the poor, he refuses to junk contractualization and implement a significant wage hike. He blackmails workers voicing these demands with the threat of massive layoffs,” he added.