MANILA, Philippines - A group of public school teachers sought the help of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) in its call for a P10,000 across-the-board salary increase for all government workers.
Benjo Basas, Teachers Dignity Coalition (TDC) national chairperson, said they are appealing to the CBCP to help them in their fight for the salary hike.
He said their group has written the CBCP and National Secretariat for Social Action, Justice and Peace (NASSA) to lend support for TDC's cause.
"Sumulat na rin kami sa CBCP and NASSA to ask for the support of the Catholic Bishops sa aming ipinaglalaban, imploring the principles of Pope Leo 13th at Saint John Paul II sa kanilang encyclical tungkol sa dignidad ng mga manggagawa," Basas told Church-run Radio Veritas.
In 1981, St. John Paul II authored the Lanorem Exercens which discusses the use of technology in development but not compromise the health and welfare of the workers and protection of the environment.
On the other hand, the Rerum Novarum, an encyclical or an official letter of Pope Leo XIII to Roman Catholics, delves on the rights and responsibilities of workers and capitalists.