Employers told: Give dignity to our workers

Militant groups in Cebu have called on employers and government to give dignity to ordinary workers whom they consider as heroes of the modern time.

Jaime Paglinawan, chairman of Bayan Central Visayas and Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), said the employers owe the success of their businesses to workers who do the hard labor towards achieving economic prosperity.

On Monday, August 27, about 100 members of militant labor groups in Cebu took to the streets to amplify their call to end contractualization and other labor malpractices as they commemorate National Heroes’ Day on Monday.

They started to march from Fuente Osmeña Circle at around 10 am and headed to Colon Street where they held a program that lasted for over an hour.

Elven Cambaya, president of the Liwayway Marketing Corporation Cebu Workers Union-Alliance of Nationalist Genuine Labor Organization-Kilusang Mayo Uno (LMCCWU-ANGLO-KMU), gave accounts of alleged labor violations committed by the company towards the workers.

The union members and company management are set to participate in four mandatory conferences at the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE-7) on August 29, 31, September 5 and 7 to address the workers’ concerns.

The parties are also set to meet before the National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB-7) today, August 28, to tackle their disputes.

Signature drive vs Train Law

The workers have gone on strike since Friday afternoon after over 400 employees signed in the strike voting.

Among the demands pushed during Monday’s mobilization is the passage of House Bill (HB) No. 7787 which is set to impose a P750-nationwide minimum wage and the abolition of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (Train) Law.

The signature campaign initiated by the militants to seek support for the bill and the abolition of the Train Law has already collected at least 5,000 signatures from the labor sector since its launching on June 12.

Paglinawan said they will bring the signature campaign to other sectors such as the academe and the peasants and submit it to congress.

“Kinahanglan nato nga hatagan og dignidad ang atong mga trabahante nga maoy hinungdan nga duna kitay mga gamit sama sa mga sapot ug makaon sa adlaw-adlaw,” Paglinawan said.

(We need to dignify our workers to whom we owe the things that we use like our clothes and the food that we eat.)

Last August 3, the P20 increase on the daily minimum wage for workers in Metro Cebu has taken effect but Paglinawan said the soaring of prices of basic commodities has placed more burden on the shoulders of ordinary workers that the increase could barely be felt.