GENERAL Alliance of Workers Association (Gawa) secretary general Wennie Sancho said they are apprehensive that the workers will experience a period of economic strangulation once the excessive increase in the price of petroleum products begins.
"The workers in our country are facing a double blow. First, Congress failed to approve the legislated wage hike, which would have provided some relief to workers struggling to make ends meet," he said.
He added that this non-approval has further eroded their purchasing power, making it even harder for them to afford basic necessities.
And now with the significant increases in the prices of petroleum products due to the escalation of war between Israel and Iran, Sancho said the workers are facing another economic squeeze.
He said the rising cost of fuel will have a ripple effect on the prices of goods and services making it even more difficult for workers and their families to afford the things they need.
"This is a double-whammy for the workers and it's unacceptable," he added.
Sancho noted that as the secretary general of Gawa in Negros, he had seen first-hand the struggle of the workers.
"They are working hard, but they are not earning enough to live decently. The least that Congress can do is to prioritize the welfare of the workers and pass a meaningful wage increase across-the-board, benefiting all workers, regardless of their status and position," Sancho said.
He said it is unfortunate that the government is prioritizing the interests of big corporations and the wealthy elite.
"Congress should listen to the voices of the workers and take action to address their economic struggle. The workers deserves better since they are acknowledged by the 1987 Constitution as the primary social economic force," he added.
When times get hard, Sancho said the workers and their families are the shock absorber of the heavy economic burden and poverty, while the capitalists reap the profits in times of economic prosperity.
He said the workers will soon collapse if too heavy economic load will be piled upon their shoulders. Extreme economic adversities would led to widespread hunger and poverty when the purchasing power of the workers will collapse. (MAP)