AS FILIPINOS commemorate the 121st Independence Day Wednesday, June 12, a local labor leader said workers in the country including those in Negros Occidental are still suffering from violations on their freedom, mainly, to have right compensation.
Wennie Sancho, secretary general of the General Alliance of Workers Associations (Gawa), said the right of the workers to receive adequate minimum wages is taken for granted by the government by way of implementing measures that favor more on the management like contractualization.
Sancho, also the labor representative to the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) in Western Visayas, said the freedom of the workers to uphold their right to self-organization has also been curtailed.
“For the labor sector, a true independence is having an atmosphere of freedom to receive right wages and social benefits for the workers and being able to form themselves for collective bargaining and other negotiations geared toward their protection,” he added.
In the Philippines, there can only be an absolute freedom if employees have their say when it comes to what is due to them. Meaning, they can assert their right to adequate compensation, the labor leader said.
Sancho added that independence should mean an emancipation of the workers from the bondage of oppression and exploitation.
The Negros Occidental-based labor group said the management still seems to have the upper hand in making decisions regarding the rights and welfare of the workers.
Thus, there is a need for more push and motivation for the workers to pursue and fight for their rights, Gawa said, as it called on the government to assess the situation and not to be dependent so much on importation.
Its secretary general said they are discouraging import policies as “it will make the local economy dependent to that of other countries.”
Sancho also reiterated that Filipino workers should be given priority in terms of employment in the country.
“Instead of providing employment opportunities to foreigners especially Chinese, Filipino workers must be considered first,” he added.