Substantial wage increase for workers, a taboo in PGMA's SONA

" The old cat is out of the bag again."

This is how the militant Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) described Labor Secretary Arturo Brion's statements yesterday that a lower wage hike is expected after President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday.

Brion revealed that the NCR wage board is already wrapping up its deliberations and expected to issue its ruling on or before July 28, a deadline set by him. He also added that " it is unlikely (PGMA' s announcing a wage hike in her SONA) because the wage board has not completed its deliberations by that time."

KMU Spokesperson Presto Suyat said that Brion's statements show one of the reasons workers are not excited to hear PGMA's SONA.

" PGMA's SONA will be a fairy tale all over again. Although she will never play a rewarding fairy godmother to workers. It seems the topic of giving substantial wage increase is a taboo for this government and that giving comfort and relief for workers are sacrilegious ," Suyat said.

Suyat also hit Labor chief Brion's unequivocal loyalty to big capitalists' interests.  " By his own words, Sec. Brion admitted that historically they never approved the same amount stated in the petitions filed in the regional wage boards. He even hinted that it would be probably be lower than the P75 that the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) demanded, which in the first place an amount far below from what workers really need. Therefore, we were right from the very beginning that RTWBs are instruments to ensure insignificant, token wage hikes for workers. And Sec. Brion's continuing stewardship of the labor department will make sure that wages during Arroyo's term are abysmally low ," Suyat said.

Based on data from the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC), the living wage for a family of six as of May 2007 is pegged at P786. The daily minimum wage in Metro Manila, however, is not even half of it at P350 (P300 basic pay plus P50 as cost of living allowance).

In 2006, the average daily minimum wage including the COLA for all regions was P229.35 ($4.74) which falls short of the P447.98 needed to meet the estimated daily cost of living (i.e. family living wage computed by the NWPC) for all regions pegged at P677.33 ($14.02). The difference between the minimum wage and the cost of living has greatly increased by 72.27% between 2001 and 2006. Every year the gap widens by 11.60%.

The labor leader also expressed dismay that the TUCP continues to be a part of a "grand conspiracy" to deceive and exploit Filipino workers through the regional wage board.

" It is high time that regional wage boards must be dismantled. The grand conspiracy to nail down wage increase must be stopped. Sec. Brion must also leave his post since he does not represent the interests of the toiling people, " Suyat stressed.

Suyat also said that the militant labor center is again preparing for a big push for the approval of the Php 125 across-the-board legislated wage hike as Congress sets to open Monday.

" With Anakpawis Rep. Crispin 'Ka Bel' Beltran's victorious homecoming to Congress, we are confident that he will again champion the workers' interests," Suyat ended.