Substantial wage increase and regular, secured jobs, can bring down the number of child workers

THE militant Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) today urged the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to sincerely and effectively raise the wages of workers nationwide and produce secured jobs to bring down the number of child workers.

Labor Assistant Secretary for Especial Concerns and External Affairs Ma. Theresa Soriano admitted Friday that child workers persist because their parents are not earning enough and could not themselves land jobs. The DOLE has estimated the number of child workers at four million.

KMU Secretary General Wilson Baldonaza said that Labor Assistant Secretary Soriano's admission is a first step for the labor department to confront the problems of unemployment and low wages in the country.

" While the problems of unemployment and low wages in the country are systemic because of the moribund economic and political order that we have, the labor department can help increase the wages of workers at the moment by supporting a legislated wage increase that we are campaigning for years. The labor department can also produce more jobs by prioritizing and supporting Filipino entrepreneurs and businessmen and protect them from unfair competition, " Baldonaza said.

Baldonaza explained that as long as wage hikes are determined and decided by regional wage boards in the country, substantial wage increase for workers will remain a dream.

He also noted that "globalization" policies like liberalization, deregulation and privatization which the Arroyo government continue to implement cause incomes and livelihood to collapse and undermined domestic productive sectors.

" It is very tragic that our children are forced to work early not because of their parents' irresponsibility or callousness but due to the government's inability to promote their well-beings by providing enough jobs and decent wages for its people. This must be stopped and an admission of such must be addressed with concrete actions from the labor and department and Arroyo government," Baldonaza ended.