Labor groups seek wage hike

Rappler file photo

The country’s biggest labor group will file a petition for a substantial across-the-board wage increase for the more than six million minimum wage earners in Metro Manila (National Capital Region) and in other regions.

The Associated Labor Union-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP), through spokesman Alan Tanjuay, disclosed on Sunday the group, along with six other labor organizations, has filed separate across-the-board wage hike, ranging from P120 to P155.80 across-the-board for workers in Central Visayas.

Director Cyril Ticao, chairman of the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) in Cebu, has confirmed that a P155.80 across-the-board daily wage adjustment petition was collectively filed by the Cebu Labor Coalition, Lonbisco Employees Organization (LEO), Metaphil Workers Union, NUWHRAIN-Montebello Chapter, NLM-Katipunan, and the Union Bank Employees Association (UBEA).

The ALU-TUCP, on the other hand, separately filed for a P120 across-the-board daily wage hike.

All petitions, Ticao said, have to be formally presented to the Wage Board in a public hearing, which is a requirement in fixing wages.

Tanjusay said ALU-TUCP would also soon be filing a wage increase petition before the National Capital Region-RTWPB as soon as the group finishes its ongoing study on the inflationary effect of the TRAIN law.

“We are studying well the inflation rate brought about by the natural law of supply and demand and the inflation caused by TRAIN. The amount will be definitely substantial, regardless of whether they will grant it or not,” Tanjusay said.

He said the purchasing power of wages moved downwards by 6 percent from January to February upon the effectivity of the Tax Reform Inclusion and Acceleration (TRAIN) law.

He added that in Metro Manila, which has the highest minimum wage, the buying power of P512 daily minimum pay fell to P357.29, while the real value or purchasing power of the country’s lowest minimum pay of P265 a day in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao is now P152.12 a day.

As of March 1, the total purchasing power of workers for a month fell to P8,575. However, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the published standard amount needed by a family of five to survive within poverty line in 2015 was P9,064.

The last wage increase amounting to P21 per day was granted to minimum wage earners in Metro Manila on October 5, 2017.

Tanjusay said ALU-TUCP could simultaneously file petitions either through the 17 regional wage boards or through an emergency legislation via the House of Representatives.

The last time workers experienced a significant wage hike was in 1989 or 29 years ago when the late President Corazon Aquino gave a P25 daily across-the-board wage increase nationwide.- BY WILLIAM DEPASUPIL, TMT

Labor hesitant about Palace Meeting sans knowledge of final EO version

“We are not sure if we will go to the meeting with the President as we don’t know which version of the Executive Order (EO) Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III is once again peddling,” Nagkaisa Labor Coalition said in a hastily called press conference following reports of a much delayed meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte happening in mid-April.

President Duterte, in a meeting with labor leaders on February 27, promised that he and his legal team will look into the workers’ draft EO submitted jointly by Nagkaisa and Kilusang Mayo Uno with the support of the National Anti-Poverty Commission. He promised to sign the issuance by March 15, to no avail.

“The truth is, the Secretary has been obstructing our efforts these past few years. He has been misleading the president and has been fooling the public by twisting labor’s position and making it appear we are unreasonable,” Nagkaisa said.

“The workers’ draft has moved from total prohibition of contractualization to a framework of prohibition of contractualization that would allow certain exemptions for contracting out of work, but subject to the decision of the National Tripartite Industrial Peace Council.” Nagkaisa added.

“We abhor the abuse and exploitation of workers through contractualization as it has become the convenient excuse of unscrupulous employers and manpower agencies and pseudo cooperatives to pay low wages, disregard social protection, bust unions and fire workers at will. We believed the President share these abhorrence with irresponsible employers,” Nagkaisa added.

Nagkaisa calls on government to decide where its policy on addressing contractualization stands. “Is it for more profits to employers at the expense of workers’ rights and welfare; or adhering to state guarantees of providing full protection to workers’ rights and welfare that would bring about sustainable growth to the economy?”

“Secretary Bello shamelessly foisted that labor is calling for the total prohibition of contractualization and deliberately misled the public and the President that workers are hardlining and demanding the impossible. He obstructed and derailed the democratic processing of an EO,” Nagkaisa added.

“He has acted beyond the pale and has shown to what depths he will unconscionably betray his sworn trust and the public interest. He must now disclose what this purported April 16 EO contains. It is something we have never seen,” said Nagkaisa.

Nagkaisa only learned about a supposed new round of meetings in Malacañang via news reports as no official invitations and meeting agenda have been received by any labor group.

SUPREME COURT ISSUED RULING ON TUCP LEADERSHIP ROW

The Supreme Court (SC), it Resolution dated January 24, 2018, dismissed the petition filed by the camp of former Senator Herrera against the decisions of the Bureau of Labor Relations (BLR), the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary and the Court of Appeals. The high court said the petition was filed using a wrong legal procedure.

On March 31, 2016, the BLR issued an Order determining the 27 bonafide and legitimate member-organizations of the TUCP. That BLR Order was assailed by the “Herrera Group” and they made an appeal to the Office of the Secretary (OSEC) of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

Following the March 31, 2016 BLR determination of member-organizations/federations, the TUCP held its 8th Convention and Regular Election of Officers on 02 April 2016, at the TUCP Headquarters in Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines, pursuant to Article VI of the TUCP Constitution and By-Laws. All the 27 member-organizations were invited to participate in the Convention and the election of new officers. The said convention elected Rep. Raymond Mendoza from the Associated Labor Unions (ALU) as President; Philippine Trade and General Workers Organization (PTGWO) Atty. Arnel Dolendo as General Secretary; and Philippine Government Employees Association (PGEA) Esperanza Ocampo as Treasurer.

On September 28, 2016, the March 31, 2016 Order of the BLR was affirmed by the new Secretary of Labor and Employment Silvestre H. Bello III and the subsequent Motion for Reconsideration filed by former Labor Secretary Ruben D. Torres, who represented himself as the new TUCP President was denied on December 13, 2016.

The February 21, 2017 Petition for Certiorari filed by former Labor Secretary Torres and Atty. Capoquian with the Court of Appeals (CA) assailing the rulings of the current Secretary of Labor and Employment, Silvestre H. Bello III was dismissed by the Thirteenth Division of the Court of Appeals on August 11, 2017. The CA sustained the Resolutions of the BLR and DOLE, affirming “that there are only 27 labor organizations as legitimate TUCP members”. On September 20, 2017, the camp of Mr. Torres filed a petition for certiorari with the Supreme Court to reverse and set-aside the Court of Appeals decision. After almost four months, the Supreme Court resolved to dismiss the said petition due to technicality.

The TUCP is now just waiting for the Certificate of Finality of the Supreme Court decision that will be issued within 30 days beginning the date of issuance of the court resolution. The TUCP leadership under Rep. Raymond Mendoza hopes that the leadership dispute within the labor center will be finally settled soon in favor of the majority of its legitimate members. TUCP PRESS RELEASE March 22, 2018

CVisayas seeks P120 wage hike

ManilaTimes file photo

THE Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) is seeking a P120 daily wage increase for all workers in Central Visayas.

Nora Analyn Diego, ALU-TUCP regional vice president, said they will file the wage hike petition before the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) this Wednesday.

She said the P120 daily wage hike petition is essential for the workers to cope with the increasing cost of living and meet the basic needs of their families.

Meanwhile, Antonio Chiu, president of Cebu Chamber of Commerce, said they have yet to issue a comment on ALU-TUCP petition. - BY RHEA RUTH ROSELL