Labor groups under the coalition Nagkaisa! are set to welcome the first working day of 2015 with a protest against what they consider as government’s assault on workers’ living condition – the implementation of fare hikes in the MRT and LRT system.
The Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) proceeded with the implementation of the rate hike yesterday, amid oppositions from labor, commuter groups and legislators.
Based on surveys, lowly-paid workers and students make up the bulk of regular train riders.
Members of Partido Manggagawa (PM), Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA) and The Federation of Free Workers (FFW) will be leading the protest at the MRT Pasay-Taft station while the Sentro ng Nagkakaisang Manggagawa (SENTRO), Public Sevices Labor Independent Confederation (PSLINK), PM and other members of Nagkaisa are taking the MRT North Avenue station. The Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP) is taking the Cubao station.
Aside from the mass action, Nagkaisa! will be distributing leaflets explaining why commuters should reject the fire hike and how they can express their protest.
In opposing the fare hike Nagkaisa! contends that:
· Fare hike is not meant for service upgrade but for debt payments to a private concessionaire;
· Most of train riders belong to lowly-paid workers;
· Government cutting MRT/LRT subsidy but hiking travel budget of public officials;
· Fare hike is a move towards privatization
The group said commuters can express their opposition in various forms including:
· Making selfies or group pics holding mini posters and posting it on their social media accounts accompanied by #MRTprotest hashtag;
· Joining online petitions addressed to the DOTC, Malacanang and Congress;
· Seeking remedy from the courts; and
· Joining scheduled mass actions
“The fare hike is the first oppressive policy of the year, the first assault by government on workers’ living condition. Workers were first to pay their taxes but they were also the first to carry the burden of budget cuts and other unjust policies by government,” said PM spokesman Wilson Fortaleza.
He added: “Sa daang matuwid, manggagawa ang tinitipid.”
On his part PALEA President Gerry Rivera, lamented that while fares in other modes of transportation, including airlines, are dropping significantly because of the sharp drop in oil prices, but fares in the MRT and LRT are rising by as much as 87%.
SENTRO Secretary General and Nagkaisa! convenor Josua Mata said, “The true logic of removing the MRT subsidy is the government shifting to the role of shameless facilitator to the transfer of public money to private hands. In this particular a case, the commuters subsidizing the guaranteed returns of private investors.”
The Nagkaisa in a series of dialogues with the President has called for a cost-effective and efficient mass transport system since the heavy traffic has been eating up a lot of productive hours of workers.
“The PNoy administration has not only failed to address the traffic mess, it is shamelessly adding a three-fold burden to workers who will have to shell out more for their own train fare and that of their children who go to school,” said Julius Cainglet of the Federation of Free Workers (FFW).
Sunday, January 4, 2015
Saturday, January 3, 2015
Several labour forums to protest against train fare hike
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| The North Avenue Station platform area |
The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP)-Nagkaisa will join other groups in holding mass action against the impending fare hike in the Metro Rail Transit 3 (MRT 3) and Light Rail Transit to pressure the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) to defer the fare adjustment, which it described as “anti-people and oppressive.”
Alan Tanjusay, TUCP-Nagkaisa spokesperson, said they are set to join a big labour group coalition in holding protest actions in MRT and LRT stations until Monday.
Last month, the DOTC said it will increase rates for the two rail lines effective January 4, 2015. With the new fare scheme, rates for end-to-end trips on the MRT-3 will increase to P28 from P15 (from North Avenue to Taft Avenue and vice versa); P30 from P20 for LRT-1 (from Baclaran to Roosevelt and vice versa); and P25 from P15 on LRT-2 (from Recto to Santolan and vice versa).
Tanjusay said minimum wage earners will be the hardest hit by the fare increase.
He explained that the P466 daily wage rate in the National Capital Region (NCR) is already affected by inflation and by the mandatory salary deductions, thus, workers’ take home pay is only P362.
“With no wage hike in sight and no immediate measure for the government to cushion the impact, minimum wage earners will be hit hard by the fare adjustment,” Tanjusay noted.
He lamented that the government failed to consider the plight of minimum wage earners when it decided to increase rail rates.
With the MRT 3 and LRT fare increase, Tanjusay said “the working poor (will) remain poor.”
“In fact, not a soul from labour groups such as the TUCP-Nagkaisa and other large workers’ representative organisations were invited for a public consultation for the planned increase if there were any. But a big chunk of their take home pay will be taken away from them by Secretary Abaya without their consent and approval. So this fare increase is an open robbery of workers, anti-people and very oppressive,” he added.
Citing the Government Family Income and Expenditures Survey in 2009, the TUCP official said data showed that a family of six needs at least P1,200 a day in order to survive. - By Robertzon F Ramirez/Manila Times
Labor group: MRT, LRT fare hike to erode poor workers’ take home pay further
The implementation of fare hike for the Metro Rail Transit and Light Rail Transit systems would further erode minimum-wage workers' daily take home pay, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines said Saturday.
In a press statement, TUCP spokesperson Alan Tanjusay said the daily wage rate of a minimum-wage earner in the National Capital Region is at P466, but due to inflation and mandatory salary deductions, their net take home pay is at P362.
"With the new round of fare hike in both the MRT and the LRT systems, they approximate the take home pay of hundreds of thousands of riding minimum-wage workers to be roughly close to around P322," he said.
"The consequences of the fare adjustment will make the working poor remain poor. This very important piece of information was not [considered as a factor] in the government decision-making process," he added.
Also, he said that based on the Government Family Income and Expenditure Survey in 2009, a family of six would need at least P1,200 a day to "normally survive."
On the other hand, Tanjusay said they are set to join a protest against the LRT-MRT fare hike on Sunday and Monday to pressure Transportation and Communications Secretary Jose Emilio Abaya to postpone the implementation of the fare adjustment.
Earlier on Friday, Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Neri Colmenares said the Department of Transportation and Communication's decision to start the implementation of the fare hike on a Sunday may be intentional.
"Mukhang tinayming nila na Sunday mag-take-effect. Walang korte, walang Kongreso, lahat may hangover pa from New Year. Siguro protesta na lang ng taumbayan ang makahaharang nito sa Sunday," he said.
"Magsara man ang korte, masara man nila ang Kongreso, hindi naman nila masasara ang kalsada. So far, sa tatlong attempt nila sa pag-increase ng fare, nahaharangan ng protesta ng mga tao," he added.
Earlier in December, the DOTC announced that it would implement an increased base fare of P11 for both the MRT and the LRT systems, with P1.00 charged per additional kilometer on Jan. 4.
Based on the new fare matrices issued by the DOTC, rates for end-to-end trips on the MRT-3 will increase to P28 from P15 (from North Avenue to Taft Avenue and vice versa); P30 from P20 on LRT-1 (from Baclaran to Roosevelt and vice versa); and P25 from P15 on LRT-2 (from Recto to Santolan and vice versa). — Amanda Fernandez/LBG, GMA News
In a press statement, TUCP spokesperson Alan Tanjusay said the daily wage rate of a minimum-wage earner in the National Capital Region is at P466, but due to inflation and mandatory salary deductions, their net take home pay is at P362.
"With the new round of fare hike in both the MRT and the LRT systems, they approximate the take home pay of hundreds of thousands of riding minimum-wage workers to be roughly close to around P322," he said.
"The consequences of the fare adjustment will make the working poor remain poor. This very important piece of information was not [considered as a factor] in the government decision-making process," he added.
Also, he said that based on the Government Family Income and Expenditure Survey in 2009, a family of six would need at least P1,200 a day to "normally survive."
On the other hand, Tanjusay said they are set to join a protest against the LRT-MRT fare hike on Sunday and Monday to pressure Transportation and Communications Secretary Jose Emilio Abaya to postpone the implementation of the fare adjustment.
Earlier on Friday, Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Neri Colmenares said the Department of Transportation and Communication's decision to start the implementation of the fare hike on a Sunday may be intentional.
"Mukhang tinayming nila na Sunday mag-take-effect. Walang korte, walang Kongreso, lahat may hangover pa from New Year. Siguro protesta na lang ng taumbayan ang makahaharang nito sa Sunday," he said.
"Magsara man ang korte, masara man nila ang Kongreso, hindi naman nila masasara ang kalsada. So far, sa tatlong attempt nila sa pag-increase ng fare, nahaharangan ng protesta ng mga tao," he added.
Earlier in December, the DOTC announced that it would implement an increased base fare of P11 for both the MRT and the LRT systems, with P1.00 charged per additional kilometer on Jan. 4.
Based on the new fare matrices issued by the DOTC, rates for end-to-end trips on the MRT-3 will increase to P28 from P15 (from North Avenue to Taft Avenue and vice versa); P30 from P20 on LRT-1 (from Baclaran to Roosevelt and vice versa); and P25 from P15 on LRT-2 (from Recto to Santolan and vice versa). — Amanda Fernandez/LBG, GMA News
Friday, January 2, 2015
ALU-TUCP: Additional tax relief long overdue
CEBU, Philippines – The Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines welcomed the additional tax break granted by the national government to minimum wage earners.
ALU-TUCP spokesperson Art Barrit said the P10,000 additional tax relief has been long overdue.
“It’s a long overdue tax relief demanded by the ordinary workers. It’s a welcome development that the government gave respite to the ordinary workers. We have been clamoring for this tax exemption,” Barrit said.
The P10,000 tax break for minimum wage earners took effect yesterday after President Benigno Aquino III approved the new guidelines set by the Department of Finance and the Department of Labor and Employment.
Minimum wage earners can now enjoy a maximum tax exemption of up to P104, 225 from P94,225.
Barrit said that the “de minimis” tax benefits granted by the Aquino administration will surely increase the take-home pay of the workers.
Barrit said that the vaunted economic growth rate in the country does not trickle down to the ordinary workers.
“The promise made by the administration that the best is yet to come is still a dream for the workers,” he said.
Barrit explained that the amount is negligible compared to the billions of pesos lost to corrupt government officials, tax evasion, and smuggling.
“We urged the government to run after the tax evaders and smugglers in order to give justice to the taxes paid by the ordinary workers be it in private or public sector,” Barrit stressed. — By Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon/FPL (The Freeman)
ALU-TUCP spokesperson Art Barrit said the P10,000 additional tax relief has been long overdue.
“It’s a long overdue tax relief demanded by the ordinary workers. It’s a welcome development that the government gave respite to the ordinary workers. We have been clamoring for this tax exemption,” Barrit said.
The P10,000 tax break for minimum wage earners took effect yesterday after President Benigno Aquino III approved the new guidelines set by the Department of Finance and the Department of Labor and Employment.
Minimum wage earners can now enjoy a maximum tax exemption of up to P104, 225 from P94,225.
Barrit said that the “de minimis” tax benefits granted by the Aquino administration will surely increase the take-home pay of the workers.
Barrit said that the vaunted economic growth rate in the country does not trickle down to the ordinary workers.
“The promise made by the administration that the best is yet to come is still a dream for the workers,” he said.
Barrit explained that the amount is negligible compared to the billions of pesos lost to corrupt government officials, tax evasion, and smuggling.
“We urged the government to run after the tax evaders and smugglers in order to give justice to the taxes paid by the ordinary workers be it in private or public sector,” Barrit stressed. — By Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon/FPL (The Freeman)
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