Wednesday, April 30, 2008 Labor groups push for wage hike
A CONFEDERATION of labor groups with over 1,000 members will hold a protest on May 1 to call for economic relief for workers amid the crises the country is facing.
In celebration of the International Commemoration of Labor Day, the Solidarity of Cebu Workers, which is an alliance of 25 unions, labor federations and worker’s associations of Cebu Province, will call for a legislated wage increase and to an end to contractualization.
The demonstration is also aimed to counter the Tripartite Industrial Peace Council’s (TIPC) launching of May as the Industrial Peace Month.
“Among ipadangat nila nga wala mi mobati og industrial peace. Naa ba’y industrial peace kung bungkagon ang mga unions, taktakon ang mga empleyado? (We will show to them that we do not feel industrial peace. There is union busting and laying off of employees),” said Roger Igot of Nagkahiusang Mamumuo sa Baradero (NMB) and regional director of the National Federation of Labor (NFL).
Industrial peace
Igot added that it is not only for TIPC but also for the government and the business sector to realize the absence of industrial peace.
Rather than pay hikes granted by wage boards, the group is seeking a legislated wage increase, which they see as beneficial to a greater number of workers.
They are also for tax exemptions for workers.
They will also call for the non-implementation of House Bill 2112, which will legalize contractualization, which they believe is illegal.
Investigation
In a letter signed by the representatives of the different groups and addressed to Department of Labor and Employment 7 Director Elias Cayanong, they called on the agency to conduct an investigation on firms implementing contractualization and to pressure employers to give the contractual workers the mandated minimum wage.
The rally will start at 7 a.m. tomorrow.
Three labor groups will gather at three different assembly points before they will proceed to Cebu City Central School where they will converge.
Birhen sa Regla
NFL members will meet at the gate of Keppel Shipyard, the Manggawa para sa Kalayaan ng Bayan will converge at Birhen sa Regla and Partido sa Manggawa members will assemble in their office in Barangay Pajo.
The groups will march to the Lapu-Lapu Sports Complex and hold a program outside the facility. The activity will be simultaneous with TIPC’s activity inside the sports complex.
The group will also proceed to the Mactan Economic Zone to protest labor violations.
The other groups that will join the protests are the Youth for Nationalism and Democracy, Manggagawa sa Komunikasyon ng Pilipinas-PLDT, United Skilled Plumbers Association and Prince Warehouse Club Mandaue Employees Union-Liberated Association of Workers, among others.
Dennis Derige, spokesperson of the Solidarity of Cebu Workers, said they are open to any compromise offered by their employers. (Camille G. Travilla/ UP Intern)
