House leader calls on colleagues to heed experts’ support for a wage hike

House Deputy Speaker and Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) party-list representative Raymond Democrito Mendoza on Tuesday called on the House of Representatives to support the passage of the P150 daily minimum wage hike for private sector workers, saying a wage increase is urgently needed and backed by economists.

Mendoza made the call after the House labor and employment panel conducted two hearings on bills proposing daily minimum wage hikes ranging from P150 to P750.

Mendoza said that during the second hearing experts and stakeholders from the academe, civil society, and the informal sector as well as economists voiced their support of the P150 wage hike bill.

Minimum wage earners speak

Among them, he said, was Margarita Refaldo of the Association of Minimum Wage Earners, who had asked that those who do honest hard work and contribute to the growth of the economy be compensated appropriately.

"Hindi naman po kami humihingi ng malaki at hindi naman kami hihingi ng sobra," Refaldo said. "Ang hinihingi lang po namin bilang mga manggagawa na siyang nagtataas ng ekonomiya ng ating bansa ay...sweldo na masasabi natin na [papayagang] magkaroon ng maayos at disenteng pamumuhay ang mga simpleng workers."

(We are not asking for much, or for more than we should have. What we are asking is for us workers, who are vital in stirring economic growth, to have a living wage that will allow workers to lead decent lives.)

Another resource person, Flora Asiddao Santos of the Metro Manila Vendors Alliance (MMVA), said what they are demanding is a just wage.

“Kami ay naniniwala na ang hinihingi ng uring manggagawa sa pormal ay makatarungan. Kung mataas ang kita nila, tataas ang kanilang purchasing power, at tataas rin ang aming kita,” she said, citing their own experience of a surge in sales during holiday season when workers receive their Christmas bonus and 13th month pay.

(We are of the belief that what the laborers are calling for is just. If they earn more, their purchasing power will increase, and our livelihood will thrive as well.)

House of the People

Mendoza said the House of Representatives, as the "House of the People," should "walk the talk of inclusive growth and development."

"Through weekly marathon hearings, let us speak truth to power and end the big lie peddled by employers and economic managers that a legislated wage hike only spells doom,” he said.

“The House of the People should stand in solidarity with Filipino workers and their families because our society and our fast-growing economy will benefit from higher wages boosting consumer demand, pump-priming the local economy, and paving the way for equity and prosperity,” he added.

Mendoza also quoted economist and Social Weather Stations president Mahar Mangahas as saying that “the minimum wage system is not working because the real wages are stagnant and not increasing.”

Further, Mendoza noted the findings of Dr. Benjamin Velasco of the UP School of Labor and Industrial Relations (SOLAIR), which showed that wage increases have no impact on employment because the wage increases have very little impact on inflation, given that inflation stems from cost-related factors and supply imbalances such as energy costs.

Mendoza also quoted economist Dr. Rene Ofreneo, also of UP-SOLAIR, as saying that the proposed legislated wage hike of P150 is doable and imperative given the billions in profits of big businesses.

Poverty wages

Mendoza then said that the Ateneo Policy Center also presented a position paper which revealed that it would require a daily budget of around P693.30 to be able to afford the main ingredients required to make the cheapest plate from the Food and Nutrition Research Institute's (FNRI) Pinggang Pinoy list—a cost higher than the highest daily minimum wage in the country: P610 in the National Capital Region.

Economist Emmanuel Leyco, for his part, also said that there is no record of businesses closing down as a result of a wage hike.

“I, therefore, urge all my colleagues in the House of Representatives to heed our people’s clarion call: Enough is enough! End poverty wages and cheap labor!,” Mendoza said.

“Together, let us make history. The Filipino demands and deserves a raise,” he added.

The Senate has approved a bill granting a P100 daily minimum wage hike for the private sector on third and final reading. — By LLANESCA T. PANTI,  BM, GMA Integrated News 

P150 wage hike pushed in House

In response to the Senate’s earlier passage of a P100 wage hike bill, a labor sector lawmaker called on the leadership of the House of Representatives to pass a bill seeking a P150 across-the-board wage increase nationwide for private sector workers.

In a statement, Deputy Speaker Raymond Mendoza said the passage of House Bill No. 7871, or any other measure seeking salary increases for Filipino workers, “is no longer a social or economic imperative but a moral and existential imperative for our millions of mostly poor wage earners.”

Mendoza serves as the representative for the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) party list.

“Their honest hard work receives only poverty wages that cannot even sustain the health, productivity and need for a decent life of their families,” he said.

Mendoza is author of HB 7871, or the Wage Recovery Act of 2023. It seeks a wage hike that’s P50 higher than the recently approved Senate Bill No. 2534, which sought a P100 wage-hike increase.

The difference, however, is that HB 7871 offers wage subsidies for micro and small enterprises to allow them to cope with the increased labor costs.

The TUCP said this was in anticipation of protests from employers, especially big businesses, who are “expert scaremongers misleading the people with their myths and fallacies against any wage increase.”

“The swift opposition from employers to the still-pending proposed legislated wage increase does not shock us anymore,” said Luis Corral, vice president of TUCP.

‘Demonized’

“They perennially demonize any and all legitimate wage demands of Filipino workers and their families who just want simple fairness as they struggle to make ends meet,” he added.

These fears prompted the House to pass its counterpart to SB 2534, which was passed on third reading last week.

However, Corral challenged both government and business players to “end the blame-game that workers’ wages will increase inflation and discourage investments because the real culprits are astronomically expensive yet unreliable electricity and soaring food prices, and not the poverty wages further eroded by the rising cost of living.”

“Let’s put an end to employer ‘overkill’ on a fair wage because a wage increase actually lifts all boats,” he added.

“All benefit from higher wages boosting consumer demand and driving inclusive and equitable wage-led growth toward a more prosperous and just Philippine society where Filipino workers and their families rightfully reap the fruits of their labor,” Mendoza said.

The last legislated national wage hike was given in 1989, with the enactment of Republic Act No. 6727, or the Wage Rationalization Act, that established the regional wage boards. - By: Krixia Subingsubing - Reporter / @KrixiasINQ

TUCP: Let’s end ‘guilt trip’ vs. labor

THE Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) has called on the House of Representatives to immediately pass House Bill 7871, or the Wage Recovery Act of 2023, authored by TUCP president and House Deputy Speaker Raymond Democrito Mendoza.

The measure seeks to legislate an across-the-board wage increase of P150 in the daily wages of private sector workers nationwide.

“We laud the marching orders of Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez for the House committee on labor and employment to urgently and vigorously conduct public hearings as soon as possible to hear all sectors and deliberate on the much-needed increase in the take-home pay of our workers,” said Mendoza in a statement.

The TUCP claimed that since 1989, the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards (RTWPBs) have failed to keep pace with significant changes in the cost of living due to an “unsaid, unspoken de facto implicit policy of dampening legitimate wage demands by setting too late, too little, and highly unjust wages.”

The group blamed this on what it believes to be an “outmoded exploitative approach” of setting “cheap wages” as the key to bringing in investments. It said 21st century trade is increasingly worker-centered trade.

Tariff-free access to the United States and Europe places a premium on Filipino workers having decent work and that includes having a living wage, TUCP added.

Business concerns

The last legislated wage hike through Republic Act 6727 or the Wage Rationalization Act, which established the regional wage boards, was P25 on top of the then P64 minimum wage; whereas the highest latest minimum wage hike given by the regional wage boards as of 2024 was only P50.

The TUCP said after nearly 35 years without a legislated wage hike, Congress should act now to address worker survival needs to reverse this “cheap labor” policy.

“As Filipino workers struggle with already low wages eroded by inflation and various headwinds, the legislated wage hike is no longer a social or economic imperative but a moral and existential imperative, especially for our millions of mostly poor wage earners. Their honest hard work receives only poverty wages that cannot even sustain the health, productivity, and need for a decent life of their families,” said Mendoza.

Even with the latest wage hikes, all regional minimum wages are below the government-set poverty threshold by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and no way near the family living wage estimated by the think tank Ibon Foundation, according to the TUCP.

“No wonder Filipino learners are failing in the Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) rankings and no wonder one in every three of our children below five years old are stunted. We are raising a next generation of endo workers who will never be competitive globally or even in Asean,” Mendoza said.

“Our workforce and economy will remain ‘gatherers of woods’ and ‘carriers of water’; forever assembling goods but never manufacturing; and doomed to be an economy of low-end gig and temporary work,” TUCP vice president Luis Corral said.

Addressing the concerns of businesses, House Bill 7871 provides for wage subsidies to micro and small enterprises, ensuring their viability and full compliance with this wage legislation.

Coral said the swift opposition from employers to the pending proposed legislated wage increase does not shock them anymore.

“They are expert scare-mongers misleading the people with their myths and fallacies against any wage increase. They perennially demonize any and all legitimate wage demands of Filipino workers,” said Corral.

“Let’s end the blame game that workers’ wages will increase inflation and discourage investments because the real culprits are astronomically expensive yet unreliable electricity and soaring food prices, and not the poverty wages further eroded by the rising cost of living,” Corral added.

Corral called for an end to “the guilt trip thrown to labor for demanding a wage raise that supposedly benefits only formal workers and not the larger informal economy” because increases in formal workers’ wages, he said, translate into increased consumer demand for goods and services produced by the informal economy and MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises), hence raising the income of informal workers.” - SunStar

Labor groups expect P150 legislated wage hike

DESPITE recent wage increases in 12 out of 17 regions, organized labor groups remain confident that the proposed P150 across-the-board legislated wage hike will be enacted into law.

The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) and the Federation of Free Workers (FFF), two of the country's biggest labor organizations, said they were optimistic about the passage of Senate Bill (SB) 2002 after the Senate Committee on Labor and Employment wrapped up the work of the technical working group.

SB 2002, authored by Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, calls for a P150 across-the-board increase in the minimum wage of workers in the private sector across the regions to cushion the impact of surging price spikes, which greatly diminished the take-home pay of minimum wage earners.

"TUCP stands in resolute support of Senate Bill 2002, which advocates for an across-the-board P150 wage increase for workers nationwide, as the Senate Committee on Labor and Employment wraps up the work of the technical working group (TWG) where TUCP consistently and actively participated in," said TUCP Vice President Luis Corral.

"Senate Bill 2002 is a beacon of hope for our workers, offering not just a financial reprieve but a tangible recognition of their invaluable contributions to our society. The proposed across-the-board P150 wage increase is not merely a matter of economics, but of simple justice, common fairness and respect for the worker that sustains our nation's progress," he added.

FFF President Sonny Matula said that while they appreciate the wage hike increases in 12 of the 17 regions of the country, the wage orders issued by the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards (RTWPB) were not enough or insufficient as they failed to address the glaring wage disparities among regions and within the agricultural sector, adding that the wage disparities perpetuate discrimination and hinder economic inclusivity.

"If the Senate and the House can act on the P150 across-the-board wage increase, it would be a significant help for ordinary workers, as it will boost the economy, particularly in rural areas," added Matula.

A counterpart measure, House Bill (HB) 7871, or the "Wage Recovery Act of 2023," has also been filed by House Deputy Speaker Raymond Democrtio Mendoza,

HB 7871 is meant to address the steady decline in the real value of wages due to surging inflation. It has already been approved at the committee level.

Corral said SB 2002 and HB 79871 represent a crucial step in addressing the pressing needs of the labor force, fostering a more equitable economic landscape, and addressing the growing gap between increased labor productivity and stagnant wage levels. 

Corral said SB 2002 and HB 79871 represent a crucial step in addressing the pressing needs of the labor force, fostering a more equitable economic landscape, and addressing the growing gap between increased labor productivity and stagnant wage levels. - By William B. Depasupil / The Manila Times

TUCP: Ratification of ILO Convention No. 190 against violence and harassment a milestone

After years of advocacy and legislative campaign for the welfare of millions of Filipino workers here and abroad, especially women and our OFWs, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) lauds His Excellency President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ R. Marcos, Jr. for the ratification of International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention No. 190 or the Violence and Harassment Convention of 2019, calling the act a milestone of the current Administration and of the steadfast leadership of Speaker Martin Romualdez at the House of Representatives in ensuring protection to our workers.

“The President’s ratification of this groundbreaking global treaty that seeks to end all forms of violence and harassment confronted by all types of workers demonstrates his Administration’s firm resolve towards a modern and modernizing Philippine society. His leadership from the front solidifies the Philippines as the newest priority investment hub through progressive, worker-centered and race-to-the-top labor relations—tungo sa Bagong Pilipinas para sa Manggagawang Pilipino,” stated House of Representatives Deputy Speaker and TUCP President Raymond Democrito C. Mendoza, who was one of the principal authors of House Resolution No. 43 adopted by the House of Representatives calling for the immediate ratification of ILO C190.

“The TUCP is grateful to Speaker Martin Romualdez for steering the House of Representatives to adopt House Resolution No. 43 calling for the immediate ratification of ILO C190 back in January 2023. We also thank our partners in the business groups for a bipartite campaign for its ratification. Now, we look forward to the concurrence of the Senate led by Senate President Juan Miguel ‘Migz’ Zubiri who vowed to vote for the concurrence to the ratification of ILO C190 and urged all concerned agencies to speed up the ratification and its deposit of the ratification document to the ILO,” added Mendoza.

ILO C190 comprehensively defines violence and harassment in the world of work as the “range of unacceptable behaviours and practices, or threats thereof, whether a single occurrence or repeated, that aim at, result in or are likely to result in physical, psychological, sexual or economic harm and includes gender-based violence and harassment.” It encompasses both private and public sectors, formal and informal economy, and urban and rural areas as it covers the entire world of work wherein violence and harassment may be occurring in the course of, linked with, or arising out of work. ILO C190 espouses an inclusive, integrated, and gender-responsive approach towards realizing our aspirations of a world free from violence and harassment.

“Regardless if one is in training, a worker whose employment is terminated, a volunteer, job applicant, or an individual exercising the authority, duties, or responsibilities of an employer, among others, ILO C190 protects you. The Philippines’ ratification of ILO C190 underscores that any form of violence, harassment, and abuse has no place in a decent and equitable society such as ours,” emphasized Mendoza.

“When workers live and work under fear of violence and discrimination and quid pro quo workplace sexual harassment—’kapit sa patalim’—amid the survival crisis of joblessness and poor job quality, worker morale and productivity dwindle. Thus, ratifying ILO C190 holistically promotes the welfare of both labor and business. This will be a ‘win-win’ opportunity for both employers and workers as it will upgrade our attractiveness for foreign direct investments (FDIs) because trade instruments, such as the US GSP, EU GSP+, and free trade agreements, are tied to the free and full exercise of labor rights and progressive labor relations in the country. We fervently hope that this will translate to hundreds of thousands of new, permanent, and decent jobs,” underscored Mendoza.

Ratifying ILO C190 now will place the Philippines as one of the first nations to have ratified it in the region and the world. By being one of the trailblazers that first ratified ILO C190, the Philippines will become a model nation that other countries should emulate. Early ratifications would allow other countries to follow suit, ensuring a minimum level of security for the millions of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who have been vulnerable to abuse and harassment in their respective host countries for all these years.

“By ratifying ILO C190, we sincerely hope that we are inching closer to the end of the long list of abuses, bullying, and brutal killings suffered by our very own land-based and sea-based OFWs, such as the late Jullebee Ranara, Jeanelyn Villavende, and Joana Demapilis, among many others. Through this ratification, we declare to the world that violence and harassment has no place in the world of work in modern society,” emphasized Mendoza.

“Together as one nation, Bagong Pilipinas should breathe life and meaning to the principles of ILO C190 to spearhead our whole-of-society approach in uprooting the long dark history and culture of violence, harassment, and impunity, especially at work, and establishing our nation as a priority investment destination solidified by progressive, worker-centered, and race-to-the-top labor relations,” stated Mendoza. - Journal Online

Silipin ang TUCP Labor Agenda

𝗦𝗮 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗼, 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗼! 𝗞𝗮𝘆𝗮 𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗮 𝗻𝗮 𝗺𝗮𝗴 𝗼𝘁𝘀𝗼-𝗼𝘁𝘀𝗼 𝘀𝗮 𝗸𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗼!

Silipin ang TUCP Labor Agenda ngayong taon, mga programa na itutulok maipatupad sa susunod na administrasyon!

Save Jobs, Save lives para sa Manggagawang Pilipino!

#TUCP88

#88TUCP

#OtsoOtso

#TUCPSaveJobsSaveLives

Gov’t job recovery plan insufficient — TUCP

File photo

The government’s employment recovery plan lacks crucial details on the kind of jobs supposed to be created and whether there will be any temporary jobs for the millions of jobless during the pandemic, a major labor group said.

According to the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), the two-year National Employment Recovery Strategy (NERS) that President Duterte signed last week “does not answer important questions.”

“What kind of jobs will be created? How long will it take for these industries to be set up? How will these industries be set up?” said TUCP Rep. Raymond Mendoza.

“What is even more crucial: What happens to our workers and what temporary work can they perform while waiting for these new, long-term decent jobs?” he added.

TUCP again called on the government to lead public employment measures through massive infrastructure spending.

Executive Order No. 140 formalized the adoption of the eight-point NERS agenda that excluded the top proposal of the NERS task force for a P24-billion wage subsidy program to save 1 million workers from joblessness through a monthly subsidy of P8,000 over three months.

TUCP said the national plan did not identify the priority industries per region that would determine jobs that would be available and the number of workers that could potentially be employed. —DONA Z. PAZZIBUGAN

Proposed police clearance for DOLE transactions has chilling effect on workers — solon

The Philippine National Police’s (PNP) proposal to require a national police clearance for transactions with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) will have a chilling effect on the "free and unfettered" exercise of workers rights, TUCP (Trade Union Congress of the Philippines) party-list Representative Raymond Mendoza said Friday. 

In a statement, Mendoza described the police's suggestion as an "unwarranted infringement of the constitutional rights of workers to self-organization."

"On its face, the request of the PNP to require those dealing with the DOLE to submit national police clearances superimposes the heavy-handed police state security apparatus on our labor relations system," Mendoza said.

"It is violative of our right to organize and unduly expands the discretion of the State in intervening in the exercise of our constitutional rights," he added.

Further, Mendoza is urging DOLE to reject the PNP's proposal. Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III has said the suggestion is already under consideration.

In a letter to Bello dated March 10, 2021, PNP chief Police General Debold Sinas said the PNP is hoping that the DOLE will support the National Police Clearance System (NPCS) “by making the NPC as one of your requirements in your various transactions.”

It was not specified what types of transactions would require the national police clearance.

For Mendoza, the said requirement would only intimidate and scare off workers from exercising their rights, noting that it may be an "insurmountable hurdle" in registering a union.

"It will emasculate the exercise of labor rights and will make a mockery of the labor justice system," Mendoza said.

The Associated Labor Unions also denounced the proposal, saying it is an added burden to workers and will threaten industrial peace in the country. — Anna Felicia Bajo/RSJ, GMA News

TUCP calls for wage subsidy in the wake of dismal GDP news

PHILIPPINE STAR/MICHAEL VARCAS

After Thursday’s announcement that the country experienced its worst economic decline since World War 2 last year, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) on Friday called on the government to provide a wage subsidy to workers.

In a statement released on Friday, TUCP President and Party-list Rep. Raymond C. Mendoza said, “We have long been urging the Government to get ahead of the recession and put into place wage subsidies for those who are struggling to stay afloat. A wage subsidy is urgently needed, as the economy has not bounced back as predicted by the economic managers.”

The Philippine Statistics Authority on Thursday said that the country has suffered its worst gross domestic product (GDP) contraction since the Second World War, with the Philippine economy contracting by 9.5% in 2020.

This was largely due to the ongoing widespread lockdowns which were first imposed in March last year. A very stringent community quarantine which restricted most economic activity except for essential services was imposed during the first few months of 2020 as a way of controlling the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

The country has had over half a million COVID-19 cases since the pandemic started last year.

Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III said on Thursday that they are not expecting any wage hikes this year as most establishments have been badly affected by the pandemic, making them unlikely to be capable of paying a higher minimum wage to workers. — Gillian M. Cortez

TUCP appeals to gov’t to provide P11,000 monthly wage subsidy to ‘new poor’ workers

The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) has appealed to the government to provide an P11,000 monthly wage subsidy to the “new poor” workers severely affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

In observance of Bonifacio Day Monday, the labor group sought financial aid for the millions of workers who lost their jobs as well as those forced into “no work, no pay” arrangement since the pandemic hit the country.

The monthly financial support is among the proposals seeking to improve workers’ welfare mentioned by the TUCP as the country commemorated the 157th birth anniversary of revolutionary hero Andres Bonifacio. Other proposals to the government include increased infrastructure spending and economic stimulus programs to save and create jobs.

“TUCP notes that while there are financial assistance programs for the poorest-of-the-poor and Overseas Filipino Workers, clearly the formal sector workers are not being sufficiently supported. Millions have totally lost their jobs, millions more are on ‘no work, no pay’ arrangements. Other millions are now into job-sharing arrangements,” TUCP party-list Rep. Raymond Democrito Mendoza said in a statement.

“We therefore call on the government to meanwhile provide for a monthly wage subsidy or monthly financial assistance of P11,000. These workers are no longer the emerging middle class. These workers are now the new poor,” the TUCP said.

Mendoza made the proposal after noting that companies could no longer subsidize their workers since they are also in dire straits.

He said extending financial aid to the workers will help stimulate economic growth due to the boost in consumption of goods and services. “This way, we keep our people alive, and keep our economy afloat,” he said.

The labor organization also urged the government to create job opportunities by pursuing massive infrastructure projects. Government spending on projects such as the national railways system, regional agri-industrial hubs, construction of farm-to-market roads must be intensified, the TUCP added.

“Putting our people back to work through public construction is the first step out of joblessness,” Mendoza said.

The TUCP likewise asked the government to increase the financial stimulus package to better help the economy recover from the pandemic.

The group noticed that the government had a smaller budget allocation for economic recovery, compared to other countries that set aside more than 5 percent of their gross domestic products (GDPs) to ensure their survival.

TUCP Vice President Luis Corral said the government should listen to the warning of business leaders who claimed that relaxing quarantine restrictions won’t be enough to stimulate economic growth.

“To our economic managers we say: Enough of wishful thinking. Aggressive government spending now at this crucial juncture is the order of the day to save Filipino lives, to save and create jobs, and to build back better, faster and in a more systematic, programmatic way,” Corral said. - by Genalyn Kabiling

House bill seeks to set up banana research center

A Department of Science and Technology staff shows tissue cultured from varieties of wilt-resistant cavendish bananas. -- BW FILE PHOTO

A PARTY-LIST legislator has filed a bill seeking to establish a banana research institute to develop better planting methods and find new uses for the plant, one of the Philippines’ leading fruit exports.

Rep. Raymond C. Mendoza of TUCP Party list filed House Bill No. 2622, noting that the banana industry pays about P1.78 billion in local taxes a year and provides income opportunities for some 30,000 agrarian reform beneficiaries.

“The industry has become a potent instrument of development and empowerment for almost two million residents of Mindanao who depend on it… It is ironic that the strategic value of the industry was built with little or no assistance from government,” Mr. Mendoza said in his explanatory note.

The measure hopes to establish the National Research, Development and Extension Center for Banana at the University of Southeastern Philippines in Davao City.

The research center will develop improved cultivars through traditional and biotechnological methods; develop efficient, economic, and productive banana production technologies; develop effective and efficient production systems for all banana varieties; discover productive banana-based farming systems; establish international linkages for banana research; and provide training for workers and farmers.

The bill provides for tax and duty exemptions for the research center, including on imported machinery. — Vince Angelo C. Ferreras

TUCP slams Finance for tax push

The labor group Trade Union Congress of the Philippines slammed the Department of Finance for pushing the Corporate Income Tax Incentives Reform Act without consulting the labor sector, saying more than 700,000 workers would be displaced if the new tax scheme should become a law.

“Our economic managers, led by the Finance department, is (sic) about to push thousands of workers to fall through the cracks by introducing Citira tax scheme in the same way they shove workers and their families’ throat with the TRAIN Law inflation with no consultations with grossly affected workers’ sector,” TUCP president Raymond Mendoza said in a statement.

Firms affected by the process may close down and transfer to another location or may be forced to cut jobs and displace around 703,000 workers.

The DOF is seeking Congress’ approval for the second package of the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program, known as the CITIRA bill.

The measure seeks to entice investors by lowering the corporate income tax to 20 percent from the current 30 percent by overhauling the tax incentives enjoyed by firms.

Citira is the renamed version of the Tax Reform for Attracting Better and High-Quality Opportunities bill that the House had passed in the previous 17th Congress.

The Trabaho bill, however, ran out of time in the Senate and had to be refiled in the 18th Congress.

The measure would also remove certain tax perks enjoyed by companies in the country.

The Citira bill retains the current incentives for two years, for investors to have enough time to adjust to the new tax scheme. Perks would also be targeted, time-bound, and transparent.

Though the measure allotted P500-million annual budget for grants and support programs of the Department of Labor and Employment for displaced workers in companies affected by the corporate income tax adjustments, the TUCP accused the DOF ignoring workers plight when it comes to the implementation of the law.

“Workers got nothing from TRAIN Law despite of the budget provisions it has for affected sector. Now our white-collared Finance people are again deliberately playing dice on the lives of workers and their families by dangling an annual budget provisions for displaced workers and by sugarcoating CITIRA with a million jobs it supposes to create,” Mendoza said.

Mendoza said the P500 million yearly budget for CITIRA-displaced workers is highly insufficient compared with the day-to-day expenses amid rising cost of living created by TRAIN Law.

“How did they arrive with the amount? How many firms would really be affected by CITIRA? How many workers would really be affected? What are these government programs that could save the thousands of displaced workers?” said Mendoza.

The TUCP is proposing a genuine transition program for displaced workers prior to the implementation of CITIRA and not after its implementation.

The group is asking the economic managers for labor consultations on CITIRA and on other programs and policy reforms affecting the labor sector. - Vito Barcelo

TUCP party-list files security of tenure legislation as HB 4892

Philstar file photo

THE TRADE UNION Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) Party-list said it has filed its version of the Security of Tenure bill, one of various versions of the legislation in play seeking to end the practice of contractualization after a previous bill passed by Congress was vetoed.

TUCP Party-list Rep. Raymond C. Mendoza filed House Bill No. 4892 which if passed will be known as the Security of Tenure Act of 2019. It seeks to criminalize all forms of contractualization and ban all forms of fixed-term employment.

Contractualization, also known as “endo,” denies workers a pathway to permanent employment and benefits, typically by terminating employment before the 6-month deadline for achieving permanent status and forcing workers to sign up again also on a contract basis.

“The bill seeks to provide security of tenure to 9 million Filipino ‘endo’ workers who are being exploited today in a modern form of slave labor […] Endo workers experience not being paid the minimum wage, even as they go without social security, Philhealth and PAG-IBIG coverage. Further they are denied their Constitutional rights to organize and to bargain,” Mr. Mendoza said in a statement.

The measure aims to totally prohibit contracting, subcontracting, manpower agency hiring, and outsourcing, including those undertaken by so-called service cooperatives engaged in manpower supply.

“This Bill seeks to criminalize labor-only contracting which is already prohibited under our existing laws but is perpetually being circumvented to deprive workers of their Constitutionally-guaranteed rights to Security of Tenure,” according to the bill’s explanatory note.

Under the bill, all employees regardless of employment status or position cannot be dismissed without cause or due process.

The measure also provides that all employees, except those under probation, be considered regular including project-based and seasonal employees.

HB 4892 also prescribes fines of P50,000 to P5 million, and imprisonment of six months to one year for violators.

In his July 26 veto message to the Senate, President Rodrigo R. Duterte said that while he stands firm in his commitment to protect the workers’ right to security of tenure, the enrolled bill “unduly broadens” the scope of labor-only contracting, which is already banned by law. — Vince Angelo C. Ferreras

TUCP cites DOST-FNRI findings on malnutrition

The DOST-FNRI survey showed a prevalence of stunting among children below the age of five and that the Philippines will have to make policy interventions in order to reach the 2030 targets set by the Sustainable Development Goals to end hunger. 

MANILA, Philippines — The Trade Union Congress Party (TUCP Partylist) yesterday cited the findings of the Department of Science and Technology-Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI) Expanded National Nutrition Survey on malnutrition and child stunting as further proof of the administrative arrogance and gross incompetence of the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) in dismissing the TUCP wage petitions.

The DOST-FNRI survey showed a prevalence of stunting among children below the age of five and that the Philippines will have to make policy interventions in order to reach the 2030 targets set by the Sustainable Development Goals to end hunger.

“No less than the DOST-FNRI established that malnutrition is endemic. It is clear that hunger ravages our workers and their families,” said TUCP Rep. Raymond Mendoza.

The findings of the study are that the losses from children suffering from undernutrition are costing the Philippines P220 billion a year and causing over 29,000 deaths annually of Filipino children less than five years old. It added that the needed interventions will cost an estimated P4.8 billion yearly, but for every P49 invested to address undernutrition, there is a return of P587.

DOST-FNRI said the results of this survey are to be “used to address nutrition problems by crafting policies and interventions.”

According to Mendoza, “There is clearly a problem, and there is clearly a need for intervention. The refusal of the RTWPBs to acknowledge the effects of malnutrition is outrageous. If they do not fulfill their purpose then what need is there for this agency to exist?”

“Also, the 2019 Mercer Cost of Living study ranked Manila among the most expensive cities in terms of cost of living. It ranked 109 out of 400 locations, and this is alarming when you consider how this will affect the competitiveness of the Philippines in attracting businesses and investments,” he said. Manila tied with Adelaide, Australia in 109th place, according to the Mercer study.

“Our petition is centered on the need of Filipino workers and their families to be fed nutritious meals as prescribed by our very own government. They are already subsisting on survival meals without even taking into consideration the rising prices for other necessities, such as electricity and petroleum,” he said.

The petition of the TUCP for a daily increase of P710 in NCR is based on the “Pinggang Pinoy” model and the food bundle prescribed by the DOST-FNRI, which gives the breakdown of what meals Filipinos should be consuming in order to fulfill their nutrition requirements.

“Another government agency has already flagged the problem of malnutrition and yet the RTWPB persists in turning a blind eye. Nagbubulagbulagan sila (They are turning a blind eye) at the expense of our workers. Hunger is the supervening condition,” Mendoza said.

The Philippines has enjoyed steady GDP growth rate, even with the recent slow down in the first quarter of 2019. “What other justification do the RTWPBs need to grant a wage increase to those who lift up our economy? Are they condoning the exploitation of Filipino workers so that corporations can continue to generate excessive profits?” he asked.

The Social Weather Stations (SWS) self-rated poverty survey showed a record-low 38 percent of families considering themselves poor. “Many people count themselves as less poor than before. But that does not mean they can afford nutritious food. Maybe all it shows is that they can just afford flavored instant noodles and 3-in-1 coffee to continue to survive,” Mendoza said.

“We warn that this continued inaction will result in a decline in labor productivity, a less competitive economy and escalating social costs as our workers get sick, and our children – the future work force – become smaller in size and weight and have a diminished learning capacity. We are talking about the future of this country and the consequences of keeping wages low to appease businesses will spare no one,” he added. - The Philippine Star

Iboto #166 TUCP Party-list

Huwag kalimutan, #166 sa balota ng halalan Mayo 13, 2019, #166 TUCP Party-list!

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Iboto #166 TUCP Party-list
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#166tucppartylist

Sa Mayo 13, 2019, #166 TUCP Party-list!

Makataong Sahod | Regular na Trabaho | Disenteng Pamumuhay


Who are we?

• We represent workers. - The TUCP Party-List was established to represent the interest of labor and workers in Congress through the party list system of representation. Recognizing the fact that the plight of the Filipino workers continue to worsen, we are committed to challenge the biases of elite democracy as we strive to represent 40 million Filipino workers, their families and communities. Popular campaigns to create a critical mass to pass pro-labor laws continue to be our main thrust while we seek to assist in unifying the labor movement through coalitions such as the NAGKAISA

• We fight for labor rights. - With over 700,000 members nationwide, the we focused our legislative agenda in ensuring universal observance of the basic labor rights and so-called core labor standards which includes:
1) The effective abolition of child labor;
2) The elimination of discrimination in employment and occupation;
3) The elimination of all forms of compulsory labor;
4) Upholding respect for freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining; and
5) Respect for the right of workers to undertake concerted action (boycott and strike)

• We advocate peace in Mindanao. - Since the 14th Congress, we have been advocating legislation for peace in Mindanao. We also have been pushing the creation of decent work for both the young out-of-school Muslims and Christians and the promotion of investments and jobs by using the peace dividend as a developmental launch pad. We are also pressing for lower electricity rates in order to attract investors in Mindanao.

• We push for allied progressive concerns. - We are also working to push allied progressive concerns such as:
(1) To promote economic equity;
(2) To ensure universal healthcare;
(3) To defend women’s rights;
(4) To defend indigenous people’s rights;
(5) To develop universal education;
(6) To continue agrarian reform;
(7) To balance rural and urban development;
(8) To conserve natural resources along the lines of sustainable development;
(9) To enhance local autonomy;
(10) To enact electoral reform; and
(11) To ensure freedom of information

For more information, visit our website www.tucplaborcenter
#166tucppartylist

TUCP backs 12 Senate bets who will further workers’ agenda

TUCP representative, Lawyer Raymond Democrito Mendoza (center) announces the senator candidates that they group will be supporting in the election. | Rosalie O. Abatayo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) has announced on Tuesday, May 7, their endorsement of 12 senatorial candidates whom they believe can further their cause for the welfare of the labor force.

TUCP President and Party Representative Lawyer Raymond Democrito Mendoza named former Bayan Muna Representative Neri Colmenares and Federation of Free Workers National President Sonny Matula as their “fellow worker” bets.

Reelectionist Senators Grace Poe, Cynthia Villar, Nancy Binay, JV Ejercito and Bam Aquino are also among TUCP’s list of senatoriables along with Taguig City Representative Pia Cayetano.

TUCP also backs the candidacy of administration bets former Special Assistant to the President (SAP) Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, former police general and Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos and former Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chief Francis Tolentino.

Mendoza said that they believed that candidates that they were supporting would be able to help them pass measures in the Senate to address the concerns of the workforce.

“After consultations with TUCP leaders and the heads of our affiliates, these are the senatorial candidates that our members believe and feel can help sponsor, support and pass legislation which will address the concerns of workers and their families through legislative policy-making,” Mendoza said.

Among the recent measures that TUCP has initiated are the P710 across-the-board daily wage hike in Metro Manila and P386-wage hike in Central Visayas.

Mendoza said they would endorse the 12 senatorial candidates to their affiliate labor federations with unions in manufacturing, agriculture, and services sector nationwide and to overseas workers. -
DBS

TUCP seeks standard emergency protocol for the workplace

The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) said that it is high time to set mandatory workplace emergency protocol standards for workers to ensure their safety during emergency situations.

TUCP President Raymond Mendoza (TUCP Party-List / MANILA BULLETIN)

“Because there are no specific mandatory guidelines regarding such life and death scenario, there is a very urgent need to create a regulation or mandatory policy standards protocols now that protects the workers’ health and safety and guides employees and employers on what to do when emergency disasters and calamities occur during working hours,” said TUCP President Raymond Mendoza.

Mendoza said some companies adopt their own evacuation protocols and hire safety officers and safety evacuation plans voluntarily, but many “enterprises do not have or are not even aware of such employees evacuation procedures.”

“Most of the victims in workplace disasters are the rank-and-file employees (cashiers, casino employees, salesladies, security guards ) who were made to hang on to their work and remain in their stations waiting for specific orders from managers, supervisors and company owners amid the quickly evolving mishap,” said Mendoza.
“A split second-time delay in reaction to such dangerous situation further exposes workers to workplace death and injury,” he added.

The labor group said that it received reports from workers, through social media, seeking help and advice after their employers reportedly refused to evacuate them during the earthquake last Monday.

“Though Republic Act 11058 or ‘An Act Strengthening Compliance With Occupational Safety and Health Standards And Providing Penalties Thereof’ mandates employers and contractors to provide a safe and healthy workplace and that it gives employees the right to refuse to work in an unsafe workplace, there’s still an imperative to create a specific implementing rules and regulations of the law that governs this emergency scenario such as earthquakes,” the group said. - By Analou De Vera

TUCP slams special envoy for labor twit

The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines has urged the government to step up training of Filipino construction workers and increase their pay to stop foreign workers from taking the jobs.

At the same time, TUCP president Raymond Mendoza, who made the call amid the rise in foreign workers working in both private and public construction projects within the country, bashed Special Envoy to China Ramon Tulfo for saying Filipino workers were lazy and “slowpokes.”

.“Mr. Tulfo should have known these better than any of us because he was newspaperman all his life and he witnessed how workers highly contributed to the welfare of our country.”

“These statements are uncalled for, unpatriotic and acts of betrayal to his countrymen particularly to Filipino workers who built and continues to build our economy and the economies of other countries whether they work here or abroad,” Mendoza added.

Mendoza said the Filipino workers are known for their hard work and efficiency globally.

The labor group also observed that Filipino construction workers are being treated poorly, with meager salaries, inadequate social protection benefits, unsafe and unhealthy working places and dirty resting and living areas.

“Due to this low dignity, they opt to work abroad,” Mendoza said.

He said the government’s National Wages and Productivity Commission must exercise its mandate by conducting an immediate time-and-motion study on construction work to determine the need to raise salaries rate based on the labor-intensive construction job.

The TUCP also called on the Technical Education Skills Development Authority to work double time in conducting training and providing certification to workers in work sites even on Saturdays and Sundays.

There is also a need for the Department of Labor and Employment to re-examine the efficiency of government policy on labor-market test method in granting employment permits to foreign workers.


“Government must respond right away. It is high time to raise the salary and benefits of construction workers to keep them from working abroad. At the same time we have to modernize and certify more workers with multi-skills so that they can be qualified across the entire duration of the building project,” Mendoza said.

Citing government data, Mendoza said there are about four-million Filipino construction workers in the country but only about a million of them are certified and multi-skilled.

“And if they are already certified and gained enough work experience, workers prefer to work abroad because of higher salary, attractive benefits, and safer working conditions,” Mendoza said.

“Filipinos are skilled and possessed innate craftsmanship but are not certified to do the work but due to poor access to training and certification, so government institutions must step in and step up to minimize [the] influx of foreign workers,” Mendoza said.

“Filipino workers are not what Special Envoy Ramon Tulfo has said. World history, many governments, and countless private contractors and project owners are testifying that Filipino workers are world class working people,” Mendoza said.

“They are the most sought after type of workers compared to other nationalities because of their high quality of doing their work and because of their ingenuity, diligence, creativity and hard work they put into every task they are into,” Mendoza added.

Earlier, Tulfo said Filipino workers are not effective compared with the well-disciplined Chinese workers.

He said the influx of foreign workers in the country was due to employers’ preference.

Under fire, Tulfo refused to apologize, saying he was only telling the truth about Filipino workers. - by Vito Barcelo and Maricel V. Cruz

TUCP: SSS must level-up services with contribution hike

WITH the increase in monthly contributions now inevitable following the enactment of the new Social Services System (SSS) Law, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) is expecting the SSS Board and management to provide a level-up, fast, efficient and quality service in exchange for members’ increase monthly payment

In a statement, TUCP President Raymond Mendoza said that if the SSS will not render improved quality service, actively paying members will be very disappointed and may be less supportive, resulting in a higher rate of delinquency among members.

It is necessary therefore that the SSS give back quality service so members will feel the increase in their monthly contribution is worth it, Mendoza said.

The TUCP has withheld its support for the increase in monthly contributions for the past four years.

“Before, we have been telling SSS management to undertake reforms in improving its collection targets rather than directly increasing members’ monthly payment by going after delinquent employers, reduce SSS bonuses and perks to SSS board and top execs, sell some assets, widen its investments, and minimize unnecessary operational costs to improve liquidity,” Mendoza said

“With the condonation program to delinquent employers on the way, we further see more income for SSS and looking at expanded membership who can avail of SSS benefits,” he added.

However, with the increase in monthly pension benefits and the forthcoming additional Expanded Maternity Leave benefits and unemployment insurance benefits, the TUCP can no longer hold back its support for the contribution hike without risking that the pension system’s reserve funds be compromised.

Thus, the TUCP now supports the increase in contributions beginning next month, Mendoza said. - The Daily Guardian