Group warns of workers’ ‘uprising’ over country’s worsening poverty
Workers’ groups march on the streets of Manila, calling for higher wages and an end to contractualization on Labor Day.
Photo from the Sentro ng Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa.
MANILA — A workers’ group warned of “an uprising among the working poor” if the government would ignore worsening poverty caused by joblessness, insufficient wages and short-term work arrangements.
The Associated Labor Unions slammed the poverty and inter-generational inequality stemming from lack of jobs, inadequate wages and social protection, and short-term contracts.
ALU spokesperson Alan Tanjusay noted that the poorest of the poor have been forced to raid rice warehouses, invade government housing units and claim ownership of lands that were not theirs.
“We do not condone nor tolerate these illegal actions, but we attribute these series of lawlessness as symptoms of an irresponsive government and inhumane employers and capitalists,” he said.
Thousands of workers took to the streets on Monday to commemorate Labor Day, urging the government and employers to respond to the diminishing value of wages against rising inflation.
The ALU noted that in Metro Manila, the purchasing power of the P491 daily minimum wage fell to P361 in February this year, while the average purchasing power outside Metro Manila has become P250.
These are way below the 2015 standard poverty level of P393, which is required by a family of five for food and nonfood needs.
“This condition needs immediate response from government and employers. Workers are now desperate and if this is met with inaction, many will resort to desperate means to survive,” Tanjusay said.
According to Tanjusay, the government’s Labor Force Survey has shown that of the 69.4 million work force, only 39.4 million Filipinos are employed; 2.8 million are without jobs; while 6.4 million are underemployed.
The ALU urged the government to enforce laws and implement programs to make the money trickle down to the poor.
“Analyzing these numbers, the cause of concern out of this survey is not just on those jobless but we are monitoring the behavior of the underemployed as well or those who have jobs yet their income is inadequate to meet their needs,” Tanjusay said.
The Pagkakaisa ng Manggagawa (PAGGAWA or the Unity of Workers) slammed the order strictly regulating lawful contractual arrangements, and puts an end to the “endo” or end of contract scheme.
The group claimed that the order issued by Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III was “a rehashed and worse version of its predecessor” as it called on Bello to revoke the order.
The PAGGAWA is composed of the Bukluran ng Manggawang Pilipino, Association of Genuine Labor Organizations (AGLO) and National Federation of Labor Unions, Solidarity of Unions in the Philippines for Empowerment and Reform Federation and Metro East Labor Federation./Inquirer.net
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