Duterte urged: Sign EO against Endo

LABOR groups in Cebu are calling on President Rodrigo Duterte to sign the proposed Executive Order ending contractualization or the end of contract scheme.

The call was made during their protest rally in front of the Department of Labor and Employment in Central Visayas (DOLE-7) on Monday.

Art Barrit, spokesperson of Associated Labor Unions- Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP), said they staged a rally to put pressure on President Rodrigo Duterte, who asked to study the proposed EO until March 15.

“This is a synchronized mass protest action nga panawagan nga mapirmahanm na sa presidente ang EO on ending contractualization (calling for the President to sign the EO to end contractualization),” he said.

About a hundred members of the ALU-TUCP, Partido Manggagawa and Sentro, who are all from the Nagkaisa Coalition.

However, Dole-7 Director Cyril Ticao said they are waiting for the mandate from the higher authority.

“Sa amin, whatever order coming from the higher ups, we will just implement them,” Ticao said.

Despite the proposed EO not being finalized yet, Ticao said that some employers in the region had already regularized their workers.

“There are some who volunteered na i-regular ang mga workers nila (to regularize their workers),” he said.

For this year, he said the DOLE-7 are targeting that at least 21,000 contractual employees in the region will be regularized.

Last year, the DOLE-7’s target was 6,000 workers, who have secured a regular position in their respective companies.

Ticao also said that DOLE-7 distributed last Friday at least a P7.5 million allocation for livelihood programs in Toledo City in western Cebu.

Ticao said it would benefit 21 associations in the city, which would include farmers, fishermen and women’s groups. - By: Jessa Mae O. Sotto

Rising inflation already cut workers’ purchasing power by 30%–labor group

Following the recent hikes in prices of basic commodities last month, workers in Metro Manila now have considerably less consuming power given their current salaries, according to a labor group.

Citing the result of its wage monitoring, the Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) said the purchasing power of daily minimum wage in National Capital Region (NCR) fell by 30 percent, from P512 to P360.31 a day.

“In sum, workers lose a total of P3,943.94 a month to inflation. With this amount, a family can buy additional food needed for them to stay healthy in our society and remain productive citizen in nation-building,” ALU-TUCP Spokesman Alan Tanjusay said in a statement.

ALU-TUCP attributed the price surge to the implementation of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law, which exempted more people from paying income taxes; imposed taxes on sugary drinks; and raised taxes for automobile, petroleum and other products.

The Department of Finance (DOF) said it is still too early to see the impact of TRAIN on inflation “unless merchants took advantage of the law.”

However, in the long run, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said TRAIN and higher global oil prices will affect the country’s inflation rate. Last week it raised its average inflation-rate projection for the year from 3.4 percent to 4.3 percent because of the said factors.

But, instead of raising its usual wage-hike petition, ALU-TUCP reiterated its call on the government to implement its P500 proposed subsidy for the estimated 4 million minimum-wage earners nationwide “to help them cope with rising cost of living.”

Despite the government’s economic advisers having already expressed their opposition against the subsidy, the proposal will be reviewed by a small working group comprised of four representatives from the Cabinet and four representatives from the ALU-TUCP
next month.

“During a dialogue with labor groups last Wednesday, the President ordered the creation of a small working group,” Tanjusay said.

The representatives from the government in the working group will come from the departments of Finance, Energy, Labor and Employment and the Budget and Management.

Aside from the subsidy, the group will also discuss the possibility of lowering electricity costs during its meeting scheduled on March 15.

Tanjusay said the recent inflation reports should compel the government to fast-track the assessment of their proposal so it could serve as a safety net for workers vulnerable to the impact of TRAIN. - By Samuel P. Medenilla

Labor groups propose P500 monthly subsidy for minimum wage earners

President Rodrigo Duterte appeared receptive to the proposal raised by labor groups to provide a subsidy or voucher for minimum wage earners to help them cope with rising cost of living, according to Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP).

The subsidy proposal was among the issues brought up by labor leaders during their meeting with Duterte in Malacañang last Wednesday that focused on the issues of contractualization and wages.

The ALU-TUCP is proposing to Duterte a P500 monthly cash voucher subsidy for an initial four million minimum wage earners.

Alan Tanjusay, ALU-TUCP spokesperson, said Duterte ordered the creation of a study group to look into the proposed subsidy and concrete steps in bringing down electricity rates.

“During a dialogue with labor groups last Wednesday, the President ordered the creation of a small working group composed of four representatives from his Cabinet and four representatives from the ALU-TUCP to discuss how to operationalize the subsidy and the proposed measures in bringing down the cost of power,” he said.

According to Tanjusay, workers lose P3,900 a month as daily wage buying power fell by 30 percent due to the inflation caused by the usual demand and supply hikes and by the implementation of Tax Reform Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) excise taxes on fuel and sweetened beverages.

In an interview with reporters, TUCP Vice President Luis Manuel Corral said he explained the issue to the President during the dialogue, telling him that it might cost the government P24 billion a year.

“But it would mean a lot to the workers who are essential partners of employers and capitalists in helping and sustaining the country’s economic growth at a competitive level,” Corral said.

“That is P2 billion a month or P24 billion a year. But you’re buying peace. If that is the cost of building a nation, so be it. That’s what we told the President,” he added.

Under the group’s proposal, the subsidy should only be limited to minimum wage earners who are members of good standing of the Social Security System for at least six months.

“Only those in the [minimum] wage bracket. Above that, they can take care of themselves while those below already have the conditional cash transfer. Our target are only the four million minimum wage earners,” Corral said.

The government’s study group is made up of secretaries from the Department of Finance (DOF), Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

According to Tanjusay, government officials will meet with ALU-TUCP representatives on March 15.

In a monitoring being conducted by the group, as of Feb. 10, 2018, the purchasing power of daily minimum wage of P512 in Metro Manila region fell to P360.31 a day – a remarkable erosion of P151.69 a day.

“In sum, workers’ lose a total of P3,943.94 a month to inflation,” Tanjusay said. “With this amount, a family can buy additional food needed for them to stay healthy in our society and remain productive citizen in nation-building. But it looks like there is no immediate relief in sight coming from the Duterte government to extend government assistance to those who are immersed in poverty and no safety nets for those who are about to fall into poverty.” - By: Tina G. Santos - Reporter / @santostinaINQ

Nagkaisa hails passage of Security of Tenure Bill

SECURITY OF TENURE. The House of Representatives passes the security of tenure bill on 3rd reading. File photo by Ben Nabong/Rappler

Labor Coalition Nagkaisa! is satisfied over the passage on third reading of HB 6908 on the Security of Tenure at the House of Representatives.

Nagkaisa! said that “the SOT bill is a great improvement to existing legislation as it gives more teeth to the government by providing penalties for those who will violate the security of tenure laws.”

“This is the farthest a proposed law on SOT has gone for decades,” said Nagkaisa! “Now, it’s time to get the Senate moving on their proposed SOT measure.”

“HB 6908 gives more flesh and blood to the guaranteed right to security of tenure,” Nagkaisa! said. “It’s not perfect or ideal, but we can live with it,” said Nagkaisa!, the largest labor coalition in the country.

Fear of employers allayed

Nagkaisa! also addressed fears of employers who went on record saying that they will have a “big problem” if the proposed measure was passed. “If the big problem employers have about HB 6908 refers to the potential cutbacks in the windfall of profits a number of employers have been amassing through the massive abuse of workers via contractualization for decades, the bill intends to do just that,” Nagkaisa! said. “Employers who do not abuse workers through contractualization have nothing to fear,” Nagkaisa! added.

“Never in the history of employment relationship in the country has workers enjoying regular employment and implementation of strict rules in labor contracting been detrimental to the economy and job generation,” Nagakaisa! said.

“Job generation is a function of the development of sectors of the economy influenced by economic policies of the government, and not by labor contracting practices,” Nagkaisa explained.

A “serious problem” employers noted is that if the SOT bill becomes a law, it will be detrimental to the economy and job creation. Nagksaisa! countered the argument. “Workers with regular employment generate more income, thus, with more purchasing power contribute to increasing demand in goods and services that lead to higher income taxes and VAT for the government. These are all good for the economy,” said Nagkaisa.

“The fear that the HB can lead to unemployment is only possible if they are not paying their contractual employees what the law currently demands. In other words, their argument is an admission that they are doing business at the expense of workers’ rights – and they want to continue doing so,” Nagkaisa! added.

The recent statement by the employers didn’t specify which provisions of the bill they strongly disagree with.

Nagkaisa! said it was grateful to Labor Committee Chair Rep. Randolph S. Ting  who steered the discussions and Rep. Raymond Mendoza of TUCP Partylist and Rep. Tom Villarin of Akbayan Partylist who co-authored the SOT Bill and helped defend it together with Nagkaisa.