Private workers empty-handed

Rhetoric, both angry and hopeful, marked Labor Day yesterday but, at the end of the day, workers in the private sector still went home empty handed, with nothing to celebrate.

Not so those in the government.

The more than a million workers in the government were given a 10 percent increase in their wages by President Arroyo.

The only consolation the president could offer private sector workers was an exhortation to the regional wage boards to speed up new wage orders.

Arroyo said she expects the different boards to come up with mandatory increases before the end of the month.

Most  wage boards across the country, including the one in Central Visayas, met yesterday to discuss petitions filed for salary adjustments.

The wage board in Central Visayas said it will no longer hold public consultations, saying it was determined to grant increases in face of the economic crunch gripping the country.

How much of an increase the board is willing to give, it did not say, though.

“ We will not go to Tagbilaran and Dumaguete for consultations. The public hearing will be held only in Cebu on May 19. All those from other provinces who are interested can come to Cebu and submit position papers, ” said Marianito Ventura, one of the labor representatives in the board.

The National Wages and Productivity Commission earlier said that even without the supervening conditions, the wage boards are mandated to resolve petitions for salary increases within 60 to 90 days.

So far, only the Alliance of Progressive Labor and the Associated Labor Unions have filed separate petitions, both seeking a P150 across-the-board increase. Both cited spiraling prices in fuel and food products.

Aside from a wage increase, Ventura said the board is also studying possible non-wage benefits as ordered earlier by Arroyo.

Ventura, however, said that even if a wage order is issued by the end of the month, it still needs to be published, and only after 15 since publication can any increase take effect.

In other words, there is no likelihood of any increase within the next two weeks, even if the board decided to issue an order tomorrow.

Militant unionists, who held different protests yesterday, said they do not expect anything anymore from the board, describing it as “ pro-capitalist “ and working only for the interest of businesses.

Wenceslao Badayos, chairman of the AMA Sugbo-KMU, said it would be better for government to abolish the board and let the matter of wages be the subject of legislation by Congress.

Different labor groups held different activities yesterday, from staging rallies to holding forums that discussed a number of labor-related issues like low wages, underemployment, and the different crises that take their toll on labor.

Protests in Cebu were generally peaceful, but authorities in Manila had to field thousands of police to secure much larger rallies in the Capital and prevent mobs from marching on the presidential palace.

“ The Arroyo regime has distinguished itself as being anti-worker and anti-people. Even in the midst of this very severe crisis, there is no meaningful relief, “ said Carol Araullo, a left-leaning activist.

   “ People are becoming more restless. It’s a social volcano waiting to erupt, “ Araullo said.

National Capital police chief General Geary Barias said protesters would be allowed near the palace as workers marked the traditional holiday of May Day, or International Workers’ Day, but that any attempts at violence would be stopped.

Elite police commandos armed with assault rifles were deployed on highways leading to Manila, while crowd dispersal units were placed on full alert near key government buildings.

The Philippines imports rice to feed its 90 million people — two-thirds of whom live on one dollar a day or less.

Arroyo, under fire over a string of scandals as well as the skyrocketing food prices that have hit countries around the world, said Thursday she had ordered a 10 percent increase in salaries for state workers starting in July but gave no further details.

Big businesses earlier warned that any sudden upward movement in wages could further fuel inflationary pressures. (Wenna Berondo, Jasmin Uy, Edwin Melecio/JST )