Over P150 across-the-board wage hike: Workers’ group wants dialogue

CEBU, Philippines — Dismayed that their proposed P150 wage hike was not mentioned in the State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. (PBBM), labor groups are seeking a dialogue with him.

Paul Gajes, legislative officer of the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), said that their group and the National Wage Coalition reminded that Marcos never really held a dialogue with the labor sector since he assumed the presidency in 2022.

“We want to have a dialogue with the president for him to certify the urgency of some bills, but unfortunately hindi pinansin,” he said during the roundtable discussions on the “Big Picture Small Stories: The Labor Perspective” at Bai Hotel in Mandaue City yesterday.

Gajes said Marcos did not even mention in his latest SONA about the workers' appeal for a P150 across-the-board legislated wage hike, the Security of Tenure bill, freedom of association bill, and several others labor-related bills.

The proposed P150 legislated wage increase has long been pending before the House Committee on Labor and Employment.

The National Wage Coalition is composed of TUCP, Kilusang Mayo Uno, Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino, Nagkaisa Labor Coalition, and Federation of Free Workers (FFW), among other workers' organizations that have been wanting to sit down with the president and express the concerns of the workers.

“Three years na hindi pa rin humaharap sa labor. Ilang beses na mga ambassadors sumulat sa kanya pero hanggang ngayon, wala pa rin,” said Luis Corral, TUCP vice president for national and international affairs.

The roundtable discussion with Cebu journalists yesterday was hosted by TUCP and Solidarity Center, the largest U.S.-based international worker rights organization.

In the Philippines, Solidarity Center works with trade unions and worker organizations through its partner labor centers that are affiliated with the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).

Yesterday’s discussion focused on the importance of uplifting “small” worker stories, in both national and regional media.

It gathered insights from local labor experts and underrepresented worker stories from union organizers—"how these compound with regard to the Global Labor Strategy of the Biden-Harris administration in the United States introduced in November last year.”

“The US administration pinpointed freedom of association and collective bargaining as integral to its relations with the Philippines in terms of trade and security,” said Andre Garcia, Solidarity Center-Philippines senior program officer.

“The US is ready to invest in infrastructure and strategic industries, such as semiconductors and business process outsourcing, especially in economic zones,” he said, mentioning the decade-long $100-billion Luzon Economic Corridor (LEC) initiative of the US and Japan.

“But what we might not know is behind the scenes, they are also trying to strengthen labor rights provisions in these trade agreements,” he further said.

“The big picture is that free trade investments are now premised on labor rights and human rights. If foreign investors are entering the Philippines, it cannot be built on violation of labor rights,” Corral, on the other hand, said.

“Good labor rights are good business and being able to access international markets for exports. Hundreds and thousands of jobs can be potentially placed here. The US has given us a second hard look, and they need to see actual reform with sustainable business profits, but not at the cost of human rights,” he added.

Yesterday’s roundtable also welcomed worker stories from union organizers and members of the Associated Labor Unions (ALU) in Central Visayas, such as Cebu Nisico Corp. Employees Union, Taheiyo Cement Corp. Employees Union, and Oriental Port and Allied Services Corp.

The unions shared their struggles and victories in organizing, getting the vote out and securing a collective bargaining agreement with their employers. — (FREEMAN)