Thursday, February 08, 2007
Ong: Workers must unite to achieve wage hike
By Ted Aldwin Ong
Misreadings
THE Filipino workers are the ones who are badly hit by the hard times. Many believe that the current regime is one of the most difficult times for the workers. Each day wage earner faces a complex situation of how to make both ends meet. This is happening because daily wage alone have become stagnant while prices of basic commodities have increased a number of times.
The last time a legislated wage hike was passed was in 1989. How much were a kilo of rice and a popular canned sardines then? How many times since 1989 did transport fare increased? Countless times I believe. How much was the tuition fee of an elementary student then as compared today?
Items like food, transport fare, school expenses, medicines if there are sick in the family, are everyday considerations of a daily wage earner. I hired a carpenter last year to fix dilapidated parts of the house I rented at P250 a day. The guy has a family to feed and children to send to school. His wife was a full time homemaker and a laundrywoman.
I once inquired on his budgeting skills in order for me to learn how a P250 a day could fit the daily demands of running a family. He said, I set aside money for my children's daily transportation and food allowance. This is possible because I go to and from work using a bicycle.
After work in the afternoon and having collected my daily income, I passed by the market to buy basic necessities composed of rice, some vegetables and a little amount of fish. These items, he assured me, would cover the family's food until the next day. This has become a cycle since God knows when, he could not remember anymore. But his only consolation is that the P250 a day is the highest rate for a skilled carpenter like him. Others who are not as skillful work as a helper and earn less.
So I asked him on his opinion on the moves of the organized labor for a wage increase? He retorted that it could help a lot to further stretch his budget but will big business allow it? This is the dilemma of the millions of Filipino workers today. This concern came back to mind as the organized Filipino workers are waging the fight for the full passage of the P125 wage hike.
The P125 wage hike bill is now for plenary discussion in the Senate after it passed the House of Representatives. If it becomes law, the salary increase will be given in installments over three years-P45, P40 and P40. It is across-the-board so all will benefit, whether earning below or above the minimum wage. Imagine that this is not an overnight increase but rather will be done in installments.
The concern of my friendly carpenter was a valid one and in fact it is happening today as capitalists and the government are loudly threatening shutdowns and retrenchments when this becomes law.
According to the Partido ng Manggagawa, "these claims are a broken tune and recycled propaganda of the capitalists even during the fight for a legislated wage hike in 1989. But after the legislated across-the-board increase of P25 was won, the economy did not collapse but instead strengthened because of the positive effect of consumer spending by workers, much like the consequence of OFW remittances."
I expected this to happen and I am sure that the black propaganda and blackmail statement of capitalists is a deliberate move to prevent workers from uniting and mobilizing against big business. They know that if workers act together, they can win the P125 wage hike-and more.
As before, I have been supporting the call of the workers for a legislated wage hike because all workers deserve a decent life. Our workers are not machines, in fact machines are better of because it is assured of maintenance. The time has come for the workers to fight for what is fair and what is right. (Comments to tao.ssi@gmail.com)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Dumaguete. (February 8, 2007 issue)
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