MANILA, Philippines -- A major labor organization on Friday blasted a Malacanang order increasing death and disability benefits for workers once funds are available, saying government should first look to workers’ demands for decent wages and social protection.
“The act of President Aquino issuing an executive order raising funeral and pension benefits as long as government has the money is a cold and surprising presidential prank for workers," Alan Tanjusay, spokesman of the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines, said in a statement.
"Workers desperately cash right now. We are desperate for a living wage and decent social protection ... We demand (that) government … pay us back for building our nation’s wealth during our lifetime and not after we die or when our bodies gives in,” Tanjusay said.
Executive Order No. 167, issued May 26, raises Employees’ Compensation Funeral Benefits for both the private and public sectors from P10,000 to P20,000 and employees’ compensation pension for all permanent partial disability, permanent total disability and survivorship pension in the private sector by 10 percent, across-the-board.
However, it also says the increases can be implemented only when "the stability of the State Insurance Funds is not affected and there is no corresponding increase in the employees’ compensation contribution from the employers.
These benefits are covered by Article 177(e) of Presidential Decree No. 626, as amended, which mandates the Employees’ Compensation Commission (ECC) to put in place a program to provide a package of benefits for public and private sector employees and their dependents in the event of work-connected contingencies such as sickness, injury, disability or death.
The TUCP said during their Labor Day dialogue with Aquino, they presented an eight-point list of demands to uplift the condition of the country's workers, including increased tax exemption and removal of the value added tax on systems loss in electricity bills. - InterAksyon.com
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