Submitted by KMU on Thu, 2008/03/06 - 2:28pm.
“Workers live with poverty everyday, it greets us when we wake up in the morning and glares on us when we go to bed. Those who have work are already feeling the crunch from high prices and low wages. What more for those other Filipinos who remains unemployed.”
This was the reaction of the Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) Labor Center to the recent National Statistics Coordination Board report of a 16% increase in the number of poor Filipinos, from 23.8 million in 2003 to 27.6 million in 2006.
“But this was 2 years ago. In 2006, migrants workers and their families had 20% more from their income, but now they are losing a lot because of the weak dollar. In June of 2006, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) was PhP 440/11 kg but now it is PhP 602/11 kg as of February 15, 2008. This is further compounded by massive retrenchment due to company closures which continues up to this quarter, with companies complaining of low demand for their products along with higher prices of raw materials,” said Elmer “Ka Bong” Labog, National Chairperson of the KMU.
According to Labog, past wage increases have failed to bridge the enormous gap between income and expenses of ordinary Filipinos. “We want to get rid of this 'monkey on our back' that is why we have been pushing for a substantial legislated wage increase of PhP 125 across the board for private workers and PhP 3,000 salary increase of government employees. Non-wage benefits being touted by Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as superior to wage increase, like tax cuts and supposedly cheap goods through the Tindahan ni Gloria, failed miserably in addressing real poverty. What we need is a substantial wage increase and not 'band-aid' solutions.”
“When you have a syndicate for a government, rampant corruption will further bleed the workers dry. We pay our taxes diligently and yet no social service is provided us because our hard-earned money is funneled straight to the pockets of the First Family and the rest of their gang. We must make the big step towards poverty alleviation by alleviating the Philippines from the scourge of the Arroyo,” ended Labog.
This was the reaction of the Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) Labor Center to the recent National Statistics Coordination Board report of a 16% increase in the number of poor Filipinos, from 23.8 million in 2003 to 27.6 million in 2006.
“But this was 2 years ago. In 2006, migrants workers and their families had 20% more from their income, but now they are losing a lot because of the weak dollar. In June of 2006, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) was PhP 440/11 kg but now it is PhP 602/11 kg as of February 15, 2008. This is further compounded by massive retrenchment due to company closures which continues up to this quarter, with companies complaining of low demand for their products along with higher prices of raw materials,” said Elmer “Ka Bong” Labog, National Chairperson of the KMU.
According to Labog, past wage increases have failed to bridge the enormous gap between income and expenses of ordinary Filipinos. “We want to get rid of this 'monkey on our back' that is why we have been pushing for a substantial legislated wage increase of PhP 125 across the board for private workers and PhP 3,000 salary increase of government employees. Non-wage benefits being touted by Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as superior to wage increase, like tax cuts and supposedly cheap goods through the Tindahan ni Gloria, failed miserably in addressing real poverty. What we need is a substantial wage increase and not 'band-aid' solutions.”
“When you have a syndicate for a government, rampant corruption will further bleed the workers dry. We pay our taxes diligently and yet no social service is provided us because our hard-earned money is funneled straight to the pockets of the First Family and the rest of their gang. We must make the big step towards poverty alleviation by alleviating the Philippines from the scourge of the Arroyo,” ended Labog.
