MAYO UNO 2025: NATIONAL WAGE COALITION JOINT LABOR DAY MOBILIZATION ₱200 DAGDAG SAHOD, ISABATAS!

Ngayong Araw ng Paggawa, libu-libong manggagawa mula sa iba't ibang unyon at pederasyon—TUCP, KMU, BMP, at NAGKAISA!—ay sama-samang magmamartsa patungong Mendiola upang iparinig ang iisang sigaw:

MR. PRESIDENT, CERTIFY AS URGENT!

CONGRESS, URGENT NA IPASA!

₱200 DAGDAG SAHOD, ISABATAS NA!

Tatlong taon nang walang pag-uusap sa pagitan ng Pangulo at ng kilusang paggawa. Sa harap ng nagtataasang presyo, gutom, at kahirapan, panahon na para ipasa ang kauna-unahang ₱200 legislated wage hike sa loob ng 36 na taon!

DALAWANG DAAN, ISANG BAYAN!

SAMA-SAMANG LUMALABAN ANG MANGGAGAWANG PILIPINO!

#MayoUno2025

#200WageHikeIsabatas

#NationalWageCoalition

#BosesNgManggagawa

#20TUCPPartylist 

TUCP hits gov’t managers’ reliance on standard job fairs

The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) criticized government economic managers for relying on standard job fairs, delaying the full implementation of the Trabaho Para sa Bayan (TPB) Act, and harboring unrealistic expectations, with foreign investments resolving the issues at hand.

The labor group said since the beginning of 2025, over half a million Filipinos have lost their jobs, and nearly a million more are facing challenges in securing stable work and income.

In a statement, the TUCP, the largest labor group in the country said the economic leaders continue to rely on the same outdated strategies—hosting job fairs, promoting job-sharing initiatives that fail to provide genuine employment, and making hollow promises about foreign investments that are unlikely to materialize unless flawed policies are addressed.

According to the latest January 2025 Labor Force Survey, unemployment rose to 4.3 percent (2.16 million) from 3.1 percent (1.63 million) in December 2024, while underemployment surged to 13.3 percent (6.47 million), up from 10.9 percent (5.48 million) in the same period.

The TUCP demanded an immediate innovative intervention and stopped making excuses and delays.

The TUCP emphasized the necessity for the government to transition from merely formulating plans to actually creating tangible employment opportunities.

“The TPB Act should move past the usual statements about the need for improvements in job quality and income levels, focusing instead on the comprehensive implementation of strategies that generate more and better jobs. This includes not only sustainable positions but also those that offer living wages, job security, and full adherence to labor rights,” the TUCP added. - By Vito Barcelo

PH unemployment, underemployment fall in November 2024 amid holiday season; TUCP weighs in

TUCP CELEBRATES 49TH ANNIVERSARY: NEARLY HALF A CENTURY OF ADVOCACY IN ACTION FOR FILIPINO WORKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES

Our 49 long years of being the country's largest labor center began way back in 1975 when our founder Atty. Democrito “Ka Kito” T. Mendoza realized that for our unions and our federations to best fight for and win job security, higher wages, and decent work—we should be “giving the labor movement, through its collective force, an opportunity to exercise its political power.”

Today, our one big labor family TUCP remains that collective force as the leading voice and force in labor advocacy through tripartism with our very own workers' representatives at the forefront in influencing policy through our TUCP Party-list in Congress that uplifts the lives and livelihood of each and every Filipino worker and their family.

That’s why, amid the many challenges we confronted and conquered for nearly five decades, the TUCP Party-list continues to work for laws for the workers, especially the unorganized, by giving them jobs, justice, and equity.

Next year will be both our 50th Anniversary as well as the 2025 National and Local Midterm Elections: Tuloy ang laban ng TUCP para sa manggagawang Pilipino sa Kongreso!

We are the only workers' party in Congress today who successfully pushed for the passage of the 4Ps Law for those who have less in life, creation of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) para sa ating mga bagong bayani, Expanded Maternity Leave para sa kababaihan—at marami pa tayong ipapasang batas para sa manggagawa!

For nearly half a century, the TUCP has fought for living wages, security of tenure, and decent work inside and outside of Congress. 

We increased the minimum wage of every region every year. Pero barya-barya hindi sapat! Tuloy ang laban para sa ₱150 across-the-board wage hike ng TUCP!

We passed the Security of Tenure (SOT) bill for the regularization of all permanent temporary & 5-5-5 ENDO workers back in the previous Administration. Na-veto pero hindi tayo susuko! Tuloy ang laban para sa SOT ng TUCP!

We filed bills and resolutions to make decent work a reality for all, lalo na para sa ating informal workers at delivery platform riders.

Dahil sa TUCP, laging una ang manggagawa!

‘Ka Kito’ once said, “If you have the people behind your campaign, believe me, the fight is already won 90%!” Let us make 2025 our golden year by mobilizing our worker-members and leaders in our respective unions and federations.

Because without all of you, there can be no TUCP that can unify Philippine labor, pass labor reforms, and extend medical, financial, employment, and education assistance to Filipino workers and their families.

Tuloy ang laban ng TUCP para sa manggagawang Pilipino sa Kongreso!

Ipanalo ang manggagawa at pamilyang Pilipino!

Mabuhay ang TUCP!

#TUCP  

#TUCP49thANNIVERSARY  

#unaangmanggagawa

PAG-ALAALA SA KABAYANIHAN AT PAGMAMAHAL NI GAT ANDRES BONIFACIO PARA SA BAYAN

Mabuhay ang mga manggagawang Pilipino! Sa diwa ni Andres Bonifacio, ipagpatuloy natin ang laban para sa mas mataas na sahod, ligtas na trabaho, at makatarungang karapatan. 

Sama-sama tayong kumilos para sa mas magandang kinabukasan ng bawat Pilipino.

#TUCP  

#UnaAngManggagawa  

#BonifacioDay

P150 wage hike pushed as TUCP party-list seeks reelection

The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines party-list on Tuesday filed its certificate of nomination and acceptance (CONA) for the 2025 midterm elections for its ninth straight year in the House, calling on Congress to pass the P150 legislated wage hike for private sector workers.

TUCP filed its CONA through its legislative officer Carlos Miguel Oñate.

“We are still pushing for P150 across the board wage hike. Bilang co-author ng Trabaho Para sa Bayan law, naninindigan kami sa TUCP na ang bawat Pilipino ay may karapatan sa permanente at disenteng hanapbuhay,” Oñate said.

(We stand by our principle that every Filipino has a right to permanent and decent jobs.)

Other party-list groups who filed their CONA on Tuesday include:

Sagip

Nanay

Arangkada Pilipino

Magsasaka

Agri

1-Pinoy

ARTE, among others

Wage hike

Asked about the biggest hurdle to the passage of the P150 legislated wage hike, Oñate said the cause needs more support to take root.

Bagamat kami po ay kalyado ng Marcos administration, patuloy po yung laban ng TUCP para sa Legislated Wage Act. Sa katunayan, maaaring may isa lamang po kami representante sa Kongreso, ngunit ‘yung co-authors po namin sa Legislated Wage Act, meron lang po kami halos isang daan sa House of Representatives,” Oñate said.

(While we are an ally of the administration,  we will continue to push for legislated wage hike. We only have one representative but the co-authors of the measure are close to 100.) 

“Kung kaya ang panawagan po natin kay Speaker Martin Romualdez at kay Congressman Fidel Nogales na siyang chairman ng House Committee on Labor ay idaos na po iyong pang-apat at huling hearing sa committee para finally i-approve na itong P150 [legislated wage hike] sa House of Representatives,” Oñate added.

(And so we call on Speaker Romualdez and Congressman Nograles who chairs the House Committee on Labor to conduct the final committee hearing to pave the road for the passage of this measure into a law.)

The Senate passed a slightly lower P100 legislated wage hike in May 2023, but it remains stuck at the committee level in the House of Representatives.—LDF, GMA Integrated News

(The Senate already pulled it off. If the Senate can do it, the House of Representatives can certainly do it better.)

- By LLANESCA T. PANTI, GMA Integrated News 

TUCP SLAMS NEDA’S ABSURDLY LOW FOOD POVERTY THRESHOLD AS AN INSULT TO FILIPINO WORKERS: WHAT DECENT MEAL CAN ₱20 BUY? CONGRESS SHOULD ACT NOW AND PASS ₱150 WAGE HIKE!

The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) lambasts the National Economic and Development Authority’s (NEDA) outlandish assertion that a Filipino can survive on three meals a day with a mere ₱64. Grilled by senators during the budget briefing of the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) on how the Government classifies food-poor Filipinos, NEDA Secretary-General Arsenio Balisacan responded: “As of 2023, a monthly food threshold for a family of five is ₱9,581, that comes out [to] about ₱64 per person.”

“Is our country’s chief economic planner on another planet to not witness the crippling impact of skyrocketing food inflation, especially rice, and electricity inflation to Filipinos every day? This is a severe insult to Filipino workers who sacrifice their blood, sweat, and tears to do honest hard work but are reduced to a meal worth just ₱20! This is not just offensive—it’s dangerous. It threatens to undermine the much-needed ₱150 across-the-board wage hike proposed by TUCP as the Government and employers abuse these silly statistics to dismiss the survival crisis of the working class—to make ends meet,” stated TUCP Vice President Luis Corral.

The country’s largest labor center TUCP expresses deep indignation that workers are being forced, by their own Government, to endure standards and benchmarks that condemn them to perpetual hunger and a life of eking out a living on scraps. Without the immediate passage of House Bill No. 7871 which seeks to legislate an across-the-board wage recovery increase of ₱150 in the daily wages of private sector workers nationwide, workers can never bring nutritious food to their family’s table, resulting in malnourished children and sick workforce with their productivity and competitiveness dropping like a rock.

“Is this how our economic managers advise our President? Is this how economic planning and wage orders are devised? Really? Are our technocrats really basing their strategy on numbers that have no relation to the real prices of rice, poultry, meat, fish, and vegetables in the public market? Foisting that outrageous food poverty threshold is a grave disservice to the Marcos Administration which vows to reduce poverty to single digit not by statistical gimmickry but by actually improving the quality of lives and livelihood of every Filipino. Our economic managers are badly serving the Filipino people by building a supposedly robust economy on the backs of hungry people and poverty-level wages. Such an unrealistically low food poverty threshold only serves to arm those who oppose our proposed concrete, actionable, and reasonable wage hike, not only undermining the credibility of the Government but derailing our efforts to uplift the lives of our people and uphold their rights which should be the hallmarks of ‘Bagong Pilipinas’,” lamented Corral.

While the food poverty threshold according to NEDA is at least ₱64 per individual per meal, the Ateneo Policy Center estimates that the government-prescribed daily healthy food guide ‘Pinggang Pinoy’ for a family of five would cost ₱693. The National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) last estimated the family living wage in 2008 at ₱917.

“No wonder, Filipino students are lagging behind international education rankings as they suffer or even die from malnutrition—principally because under the regional wage board system for 35 years of scraps as increases, workers’ wages failed to keep up with the rising cost of living and to fulfill the Constitutional right to a living wage,” explained Corral.

According to UNICEF Philippines, every day, 95 children in the Philippines die from malnutrition, and twenty-seven out of 1,000 Filipino children do not get past their fifth birthday. A third of Filipino children are stunted or short for their age.  In the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2018 survey among 15-year-old students from 79 countries, Filipino students scored lowest in reading and second to lowest in mathematics and science. According to the World Bank, nearly one in three Filipino children under five years of age is stunted primarily due to poverty.

“Congress can no longer afford to turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to these absurd official statistics and skewed standards that distort the harsh reality faced by Filipino workers and their families. With high prices and low wages as the most urgent issues plaguing our nation, there is only one course of action: Congress must urgently pass the ₱150 wage hike proposed by TUCP to end the crisis of poverty wages further eroded by surging prices,” emphasized Corral.

NATIONAL WAGE COALITION LABOR DAY MOBILIZATION: DAGDAG SAHOD ISABATAS! 150 PATAAS!

On Wednesday, 01 May 2024—Labor Day—thousands of workers from various Philippine trade union centers, labor federations, and workers' organizations will march together in solidarity to Morayta under the banner of the National Wage Coalition to send a strong message to Batasan and Malacañang: DAGDAG SAHOD ISABATAS! P150 PATAAS!

Passing the ₱150 wage recovery increase is only the first yet pivotal step that the Philippines should take to actualize living wages embodied in proposed legislation for a ₱750 daily wage increase for private sector workers and a new Salary Standardization Law (SSL) anchored on the ₱33,000 monthly minimum wage for public sector workers. 

Various trade union centers, labor federations, and workers’ organizations in both the private and public sector led by the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP), and Nagkaisa Labor Coalition (Nagkaisa!) united in solidarity as the NATIONAL WAGE COALITION.

SAMA-SAMA TAYONG MAGMARTSA SA MAYO UNO!

SAMA-SAMA NATING ITAAS ANG SAHOD MO!

Pushing for just living wage, better workers’ protection

May 1, 2024 marks the 122nd Labor Day in the Philippines.

It was May 1, 1903, when the Filipinos celebrated Labor Day in the Philippines. The first labor group, Union Obrera Democratica, was behind the history-altering movement. Demanding absolute freedom from American capitalism and imperialism, thousands of workers marched down from Plaza Moriones in Tondo to Malacañang that day.

Formerly known as the Union Obrera Democratica, the labor group was founded by Isabelo Delos Reyes and Herminigildo Cruz on February 2, 1902. The union championed the rights of the labor force during the American occupation in the Philippines.

Unfortunately, Delos Reyes was jailed in August 1902 for sedition, rebellion, and conspiring to raise labor wages. Dominador Gomez took the helm afterward and led the first Labor Day celebration on May 1.

Since that day, Filipino workers continue to struggle for fair wages and better working practices.

Today, the celebration of Labor Day in the Philippines is not just about parades but also rallies and demonstrations to call for a just and livable minimum wage, among others.

The labor unions in the Philippines are recognized under the Labor Code of the Philippines, allowing them to have the freedom to self-organize. They are raising awareness of the usual concerns of workers such as wages, an hour of work, and other legal rights they are entitled to have.

These labor groups are also legitimate entities negotiating the terms and conditions of employment—through the process of collective bargaining agreement—with the employers.

The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) is the largest confederation of labor federations in the Philippines with 480,000 members. Another prominent labor union is the Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU).

Meanwhile, the TUCP is appealing for a dialogue with President Marcos Jr. and to meet with the labor sector to discuss the workers problems.

In a statement, the TUCP asked the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) over the absence of any dialogue, especially during the annual May 1 celebration, between workers and Marcos.

The DOLE program for May 1 should have focused instead on letting workers’ voices be heard by the President on what urgently needs to be done to address the plight of the Filipino workers, the TUCP said.

“It is in the spirit of continuing social dialogue that the TUCP is dumbfounded by the lack of labor dialogue even just once a year on workers’ day, particularly, this May 1st. It has been two years into the Administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., and there has been no labor dialogue set even on the scheduled Labor Day Celebration in Malacañang this year. We therefore ask DOLE: ‘What is there to mark and remember the 122nd Labor Day with?’ Celebrating Labor Day would be a hollow ritual without addressing or even listening to the struggling workers’ pleas,” the TUCP stressed.

The TUCP said that ignoring the Philippine labor movement could derail President Ferdinand R Marcos, Jr., pitch to the world for the Philippines as an investment destination considering that both foreign trade and foreign direct investments are inextricably linked to the clear and categorical observance of international labor standards.

It should be noted that the country has been consistently ranked globally as one of the ten worst countries for workers. The country’s observance of ILO Convention No.87 on Freedom of Association has been under continuing scrutiny internationally since 2009. The latest January 2023 ILO High-Level Tripartite Mission highlighted persistent violations and violence directed against the Filipino workers’ freedom of association, all done with impunity.

Also, the TUCP seeks the House of Representatives to pass several house bills pending before congress and these include:

HOUSE BILL NO. 1512: SECURITY OF TENURE (SOT) ACT that seeks to end the pandemic of ENDO contractualization in the country and to restore security of tenure as the norm in labor relations, rather than the exemption.

HOUSE BILL NO. 1518: UNION FORMATION ACT aims to strengthen the right of workers to self-organize by lowering the requirements for union registration in response to the ILO’s long-standing observation of excessive registration requirements on workers’ organizations in the country.

HOUSE BILL NO. 5536: ASSUMPTION OF JURISDICTION ACT proposes to limit the power of the DOLE Secretary to assume jurisdiction over labor disputes by changing the operative phrase from the overly broad “industries indispensable to the national interest” to “industries providing essential services” as defined by the ILO.

HOUSE BILL NO. 7043: WORKERS’ RIGHT TO STRIKE ACT removes dismissal and imprisonment as a penalty for illegal strikes and lockouts because these are too harsh and disproportionate to the seriousness of the violation.

Meanwhile, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) will set up 94 job fair sites across the country in celebration of the 122nd Labor Day.

The Bureau of Local Employment (BLE) said the job fairs featuring local and overseas employment opportunities will be held in almost all regions on Labor Day.

“DOLE is presenting a huge opportunity for all jobseekers. We will be conducting job fairs in 94 sites across the country. Come and participate in the job fair nearest you,” it added.

DOLE Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma said Kadiwa centers would also be brought closer to Filipino workers and job seekers on May 1.

“With at least one job fair and Kadiwa per province, more workers and job seekers and even consumers will have access to employment opportunities and affordable products as DOLE conducts these activities on May 1,” Laguesma said in a statement.

The DOLE said 1,901 participating employers would offer up to 154,470 jobs.

Production workers, customer service representatives, cashiers, baggers, sales clerks, laborers, carpenters, painters, microfinance officers, financial advisers, service crew, cooks, waiters, truck drivers, nurses, property consultants and tutors are the top vacancies this year.

The DOLE advised job seekers to prepare their application requirements such as resumé or curriculum vitae, diploma, transcript of records and certificate of employment for those formerly employed.

Job seekers and consumers can access affordable products from 1,015 enterprises and 2,414 sellers in 92 “Kadiwa ng Pangulo” sites nationwide, the biggest to date.

The activities aim to honor Filipino workers as the nation commemorates Labor Day with the theme, “Sa Bagong Pilipinas: Manggagawang Pilipino, Kabalikat at Kasama sa Pag-asenso.”

On the other hand, the government is committed to pushing more strategies that will further boost labor and improve employment conditions.

“Quality jobs need to be created in sectors with current labor supply constraints, as well as in other higher value-added sectors like BPO, IT, construction, accounting, and healthcare, among others,” the Finance Secretary Ralph Recto said.

The DOF will ensure the efficient implementation of the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Act to attract more strategic investments into the country. It is working on amending the law to further address investor concerns and tailor fit incentives.

With its high multiplier effect on the economy, the government will vigorously implement the President’s Build Better More program to generate more jobs and investments.

The DOF will ensure the efficient execution of the 2024 national budget through timely implementation of projects to avoid government underspending, allowing it to hold fast to the commitment to delivering high-yielding infrastructure projects.

The government will likewise strengthen the implementation of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Code to bring in more capital that will cut infrastructure backlog while freeing budget space for social services and generating jobs that boost domestic consumption. - By Vito Barcelo

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