ALU-TUCP: Economic managers have no real plan to anticipate rise in prices of goods, services

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Workers’ group Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) said the inflation rate has reached this high because the country’s economic managers have no real plan that would anticipate the rise in the prices of goods and services.

“We see no indication that this growing poverty will cease to grow because there seems to be no strategy specifically designed by economic managers,” said ALU TUCP spokesperson Alan Tanjusay in a statement.

Even if the markets will be flooded with imported rice and vegetables, he said the people have no money to buy these goods.

ALU-TUCP then renewed its call for the enactment of their proposed P500 monthly cash subsidy from government for four-million minimum-wage earners under SSS coverage.
“We call this the Labor Empowerment and Assistance Program (LEAP) and is intended to mitigate the economic miscalculations of TRAIN 1, the knock-on depreciation of the peso in the light of the US increase in its interest rates, and the ongoing increase in international oil prices,” said Tanjusay.

He said there is also need to bridge the gap in the decline of real wages as inflation climbs.

The ALU-TUCP reiterated its call for a substantive wage adjustment by the regional wage boards to compensate workers.

The Nagkaisa Labor Coalition said the soaring inflation needs drastic solutions to ease its impact especially to low-income earners who are not beneficiaries of the tax exemption contained in the Train law.

Among the solutions that the group suggested is the suspension of the implementation of the excise tax in petroleum products to lower its price and subject its reimplementation if needed to Congress.

Nagkaisa said the government should also provide ample support to farmers and fishers for the sustainable production of staple food such as rice, vegetables and fish.
A nationwide crackdown on traders who hoard supply of rice and other basic goods is also in order, said the group.

Nagkaisa said Congress should also review the present minimum-wage fixing mechanism aimed at establishing a new wage policy and mechanism that would provide just wage increase anchored on the constitutional mandate of granting workers a living wage.

It added that other relevant agencies of government should work together to bring to the factories and communities basic goods at subsidized price through “rolling stores” or the like. - By Leslie Ann Aquino