LABOR WATCH

Legislate a P125 Wage Hike, Instead of Treating Workers Like Animals – KMU

Even as the dead and the injured in the poor Filipinos’ stampede for cash prizes in Wowowee were still being counted last week, the labor secretary and a senator moved to keep the workers “treated like animals” and usher in “modern-day slavery,” according to the militant Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU or May First Movement).

BY MARIA G. SALAMAT
Bulatlat

Even as the dead and the injured in the poor Filipinos’ stampede for cash prizes in Wowowee were still being counted last week, the labor secretary and a senator moved to keep the workers “treated like animals” and usher in “modern-day slavery,” according to the militant Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU or May First Movement).

Labor Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas’ statement that “it is not yet time for a wage hike” is akin to treating workers like animals, said KMU. According to Prestolline Suyat, KMU spokesperson, the workers’ demand for a legislated P125 wage hike is already long past due, “one can only be ignorant and coldhearted not to notice the widespread poverty and everyday hunger of workers and their families.”

“The labor secretary does not have to wait for the more damaging effect of the additional 2% value-added tax before pushing for a wage hike because the average Filipino family,” Suyat said, “(since) as Sen. Aquilino Pimentel puts it, is now ‘already below the survival threshold.’”

Suyat explained that data from National Statistics Office showed that the value of the peso is declining: P1 amounted to P0.83 in 2004 and P0.77 in 2005. The government agency said the National Capital Region workers’ P288 daily wage is equivalent to only P212 in real terms. And yet, a family of six needs at least P690 on average in order to live decently, based on conservative estimates by the Ecumenical Institute for Labor Education and Research, a labor think-tank.

A survey of TNS Worldpanel revealed that due to rising prices, low-income Filipino households (for instance, families living on an income of P7,500 a month) “scrimp on nonessential items such as snacks, spreads and sauces, and even everyday items such as cooking oil and milk powder,” said Suyat.

On food items, the survey stated that low-income families have stopped frequenting supermarkets and go instead to the traditional sari-sari stores because they sell in "tingi" (retail) and on "lista" (credit).

KMU reiterated its call for Sto. Tomas’ resignation.  According to Suyat, “Secretary Sto. Tomas' callousness and cruelty only showed that she is not the proper person to hold that post in the labor department. She tolerates the employers’ inhumane treatment of workers and displays sheer insensitivity to workers’ demand for a significant wage hike.”

Labor flexibility

Sen. Edgardo Angara, meanwhile, had filed a bill last week proposing to revise the Labor Code to exempt some employers from inspection by the Labor Department, to allow compressed workweek and flexible time arrangements (which, as proposed, means extending the regular working day up to 12 hours, only succeeding hours would be considered overtime), and exempting women who are working in industries operating 24 hours from night work prohibition.

According to Angara, these amendments are designed to offer flexibility to investors in order to allow the local economy to be more competitive in the global market.

The KMU sees it another way. "Flexible labor rules will facilitate further exploitation of the workers, worsen their working conditions and suppress their union rights, all for the vicious drive of capitalists for larger profits," said Labog. “Flexible labor means modern-day slavery for us working people.”

Labog recounted the case of Romeo Mapacpac and Raymundo Aguba, workers who were victims of overly long working hours. Due to exhaustion, Romeo Mapacpac collapsed and hit his head on a machine and died. Raymundo Aguba, 29, fell dead in his dormitory after working for 22 hours straight. Their families were paid P10,000 each and ordered to shut up.

“Many companies impose a policy that no one could abandon their shift if there is no replacement yet. With a 12-hour working day, such tragedies will most likely be repeated,” said Labog.

 “Workers around the world fought for an 8-hour working day from the previous 12-16 hours work schedule.  Studies have proven that working for more than 8 hours reduces the workers’ efficacy, thus leading to poor performance and work-related accidents. If this bill passes, we will be thrown back to the time of slavery.”

He discussed further that employers do violate labor standards just to gain an additional centavo of profit, even with inspections by the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE). “What more if employers shall be exempted from inspections for 10 years?" asked Labog. 

He said that even before Angara filed Senate Bill 2188, DoLE’s existing proposal to make inspections voluntary is already being much exploited by the employers.

“Instead of tweaking with the Labor Code, Senator Angara should focus on making the P125 legislated wage hike a reality,” said Labog. “It is what the workers urgently need right now.” Bulatlat

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