P10 COLA insulting pittance for our hardwork, say workers

“Despite our hardwork, the RTWPB—lowly mouthpiece of capitalists—seems to always push us further to deprivation. We are outraged by the insulting pittance that they have decided to shove onto our plates while the capitalists of Davao region continue to fatten their bellies with the millions of profit from our sweat and blood.”

Thus declared Romualdo Basilio, chairman of Kilusang Mayo Uno-Southern Mindanao Region, on the reported Wage Order 14 of P10 cost of living allowance that the Regional Tripartite Wage and Productivity Board XI (RTWPB-XI) has approved as increment this year. When WO 14 takes effect, non-agriculture workers shall receive P250 daily wage while workers of other industries shall receive even lower daily rates.

“It’s a shame to even call it an ‘increase’ since it is not incorporated in the basic pay. Worse, the previous P16 COLA of WO 13 was not absorbed in the basic pay, which still basically pegs workers’ wages at P224,” he explained.

“What with the rising cost of food and other basic needs, how far will P250 go? It does not even come near to half of what we need to shell out every day to put food on the table, send our children to school and pay for all our other necessities,” The National Economic Development Authority, a government-agency, reports that in Davao region, the daily cost of living for a family of six is about P600.

Basilio, however, noted that the labor center has expected this miniscule amount after the wage board in Metro Manila approved a measly P12 COLA increase. “The writings were on the wall; and indeed, the wage boards seemed to have orchestrated a nationally-coordinated attack against our economic welfare. For almost two decades that the RTWPB ran the business of giving substantial increase in wages, all it has proven to accomplish was becoming the minion of capitalist greed. For the longest time, we have called for the abolition of the wage board because we believe only Congress has the mandate to increase workers’ wages.”

Basilio furthered that the insignificant COLA proves only that what “development and progress” Pres. Gloria Arroyo aggrandized in her recent SONA were all deceitful lies. “She has the gall to grandstand her illegitimate administration’s contrived figures of soaring stocks and indexes when all the while we are eating less than three meals a day.”

“The call for P125 legislated wage increase remains the struggle that we pursue. We vow to heighten our protest actions until Congress and Senate mutually agree to give us our due,” he concluded.