Aquino gov’t not serious on child labor problem

A labor group on Thursday blasts the Aquino administration for its failure to curb the proliferation of child labor problem in the country.

Alan Tanjusay, spokesman of Trade Union Congress of the Philippines-NAGKAISA (TUCP-NAGKAISA), said the total number of child laborers has reached to more than 5.5 million as of 2014.

Child laborers are referred to as children, who, at the tender age of 5-17 years, started working for a particular employer in a specific period of time.

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) noted that in every ten working children, six were boys while four were girls.

PSA data revealed that 46.7 percent of the total child workers belong to the 15-17 year-old bracket, while 45.1 percent were 10-14 years old, and 8.2 percent were 5-9 years of age.

Under the Philippine Anti-Child Labor law, the children are not allowed to work due to their young age. But, they are forced to work due to massive poverty, said Tanjusay, which sets aside the Anti-Child Labor laws.

He added that the huge total number of child workers was sufficient basis to describe the Aquino administration as “benign” in addressing the problem.

“Right now, we consider the government effort to curb [the problem on] child laborers as benign. The government is not serious. Hindi targeted,” averred Tanjusay.

He said the government, through the collective efforts of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), are necessary to concretely addressing the problem now.

He said “it is high time for the DOLE and DSWD to dedicate common focus in creating a national program and strategy towards minimizing the number of child laborers in the country.”

Tanjusay pointed out that there is a need for the government to carry out a serious program or strategy, in order to decisively reduce the number of children who are forced to work by 250,000 every year. - Nelson S. Badilla / The Manila Times

Bill allowing foreigners to join unions passed on 2nd reading

MANILA, Philippines - The House of Representatives has approved on second reading a bill, allowing foreign individuals or organizations to join trade unions in the Philippines.

"The measure shall promote the solidarity of workers and their organizations, whether inside or outside the country, or both," Davao City Rep. Karlo Alexei Nograles, chairman of the sponsoring Committee on Labor and Employment said.

On the other hand, TUCP partylist Rep. Raymond Democrito Mendoza, author of House Bill 5886, said the Philippines should adhere to the principle of equal treatment of migrant workers and national workers as regards to trade union membership and collective bargaining.

The bill seeks to amend Presidential Decree 442 or the Labor Code of the Philippines.

"The right to self-organization is a universal human and worker's right. The Philippines recognizes the right to self-organization, with the ratification of ILO (International Labor Organization) Convention No. 87 on Freedom of Association," Mendoza said.

Under the measure, all aliens, natural or juridical, as well as foreign organizations with valid permits issued by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), may engage directly or indirectly in all forms of trade union activities but only through normal contacts between Philippine labor unions and recognized international labor centers.

Foreign workers in the country with valid permits issued by the DOLE may exercise the right to self-organization and join or assist labor organizations of their own choice for purposes of collective bargaining.

The bill also provides that foreign individuals, organizations or entities may give donations, grants or other forms of assistance, in cash or in kind, directly or indirectly, to any labor organization, group of workers or any auxiliary, such as cooperatives, credit unions and institutions engaged in research, education or communication, in relation to trade union activities. - By Dennis Carcamo (philstar.com)

TUCP to Noy: Raise minimium salary of workers

A labor group once again calls on the Aquino administration to raise the minimum wage of workers in the country.

MANILA, Philippines - Labor group Trade Union Congress of the Philippines-Nagkaisa (TUCP-Nagkaisa) said President Benigno Aquino III has a little to help an estimated P24.4 million poor workers whose income still cannot cope with the cost of basic goods and services.

TUCP Nagkaisa spokesperson Alan Tanjusay said he is baffled why the government remains reluctant to raise the wages of poor working people amid results of government’s Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) survey, showing big disparity between family income and barest expenditures.

The poverty threshold set by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) for 2014 was at P8,778 a month for a family of five to survive. However, in the first semester of 2014, average incomes of poor families were short by 27 percent of the poverty threshold.

NEDA said that poverty threshold is the minimum income set by government as required to meet basic food and non-food needs for a family of five to ensure that one remains economically and socially productive.

It showed poor workers in the informal economy, estimated to be at P21 million, who received less than the mandated minimum wage, were found to earn average monthly income of measly P6,408. This means they needed P2,370 more per month to move out of poverty in that year.

"It's very alarming that a huge problem confronting workers who fell through the cracks has not been acted upon ever since. Right now, they are coping on their own, coping by the means available to them and we feel they are totally excluded from the agenda sharing the profits," TUCP-Nagkaisa spokesperson Alan Tanjusay said.

Workers in the informal economy include construction workers, farmers, vendors, jeepney, bus, tricycle, pedicab drivers, conductors, salesladies, barbers, street-sweepers and garbage collectors.

For minimum wage earners in Metro Manila, a disparity of P1,082.31 a month from the prescribed P8,778 poverty threshold amount last year.

PSA figures show the real value of P466 minimum wage for the National Capital Region (NCR) last year was P356.64 a day or P7,695.69 a month.

This year, the current value of the current highest minimum wage of P481 is only P371.64 a day or P8,176.08 a month— still a P601.92 short compared with the 2014 P8,778 threshold.

Today, TUCP-Nagkaisa estimated the mid-year poverty threshold at P9,177 a month.

Meanwhile, Gerard Seno, executive vice president of the Associated Labor Unions, said the latest ideal minimum wage should be at P1,068 a day to cover the rising costs of prices of basic food and non-food needs.

Seno said that this can be achieved through a priority legislated wage hike measure or through a uniform decision of regional wage boards.

"That is why with less than a year in office, we are still hoping President Aquino to make tough policy decisions in raising Filipino family income both at the formal and informal sector workers," Seno said. - By Dennis Carcamo (philstar.com)

Sona not a venue for fashion show — TUCP

A labor group has urged senators and congressmen, including guests not to make the State of the Nation Address (SONA) occasion a fashion show venue; it suggested a simple, formal and acceptable wear.

The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines-Nagkaisa (TUCP-Nagkaisa) observed that SONA for many years, has become a fashion event for legislators, their spouses and families.

President Benigno Aquino III will deliver his last SONA on Monday, July 27, at the Batasan complex in Quezon city.

“First of all, the SONA is not a fashion show. Second, working people feel it is illogical and unethical for our lawmakers to parade in the halls of congress wearing costly, extravagant clothes during the SONA when millions of their constituent Filipinos are languishing in hunger and poverty,” Gerard Seno, executive vice president of the Associated Labor Unions said.

He said senators and members of the House of the Representatives should lead lives of simplicity and modesty as representatives of the people’s plight and aspiration.

For his part, TUCP-Nagkaisa spokesperson Alan Tanjusay said there should be a committee at both Houses that sets an internal rules teaching our lawmakers the simple way to dress and putting a cap on the cost of clothes they wear during SONA and during sessions.

“The focus of the SONA is the state of well-being of tax-paying Filipino people not the expensive clothes our solons are wearing. The essence of the gathering is not to showcase their brand new and top of the line SUVs. The center of the SONA is the people, the ordinary working people who will listen to the report of the president and validate his direction for the incoming year,” Tanjusay said.

He said the budget of P700 per head for snacks and dinner for the day is too expensive. Rather, the budget should not exceed P481 pesos the highest current amount of daily minimum wage in Metro Manila. - By Vito Barcelo / Manila Standard Today