Amid global economic crisis: Labor groups won't seek pay hike

CEBU, Philippines - Labor groups in Cebu will break their annual tradition of filing a petition for wage hike weeks before the celebration of the Labor Day on May 1.

This year, officials of Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines and Alliance of Progressive Labor said they will not demand for an adjustment in wages taking into consideration the present global economic crunch that is affecting a lot of industries across the globe.

Joy Lim, education, information and communications officer of ALU-TUCP said “it is not the right time yet to ask for a wage increase” because the financial crisis has caused a number of companies to shut down resulting to job losses.

At this point in time, she added what is more important is how can workers maintain their jobs. According to her, demanding for a wage hike at this time may only result to bigger problem because some employers might be forced to to layoff their workers or close their businesses due to lack of money for the salary increase.

ALU-TUCP has around 15,000 active members in Cebu alone and according to Lim, around 20 percent of this number have already lost their jobs.

Instead of asking for wage increase, Lim said what they appealing to employers is to maintain the benefits given to the workers. “Give what is due to the employees,” she added.

Although not all sectors are greatly affected by the crisis, she said that they still give consideration to some businesses, especially here in Cebu, that have been brought down by the economic instability.

As of now, Lim said that they have not yet decided if they will hold protest rallies on May 1 but it would depend on the decision of the TUCP, their mother organization.

For his part, Jose Tomongha, APL provincial chairman, said they filed for an “appeal” before the wage board in December but it was denied in February. After which, he said they saw the effects of the crisis to companies so they decided not re-file their petition.

Tomongha however appealed to the Department of Labor and Employment to look into allegations that some companies are using the crisis as the reason to lay off their employees even if they don’t need to do so.

He said they are asking the labor department to monitor the companies and ensure that the workers will not be losing their jobs due to unreasonable claims.

However, both ALU-TUCP and APL said that their decision in not asking for a wage hike at present may still change depending on how the the country’s economy would cope up in the coming months.

Lim stated that nothing can stop them from filing a petition when the right time comes.

On Labor Day, Tomongha revealed that they will be having forums and a press conference as well as a protest march, which they normally do every year.

Meanwhile, Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino-Cebu said that the surge of retrenchment experienced in Cebu today would persist if not worsen if the public will allow capitalist-biased congressmen to pursue the Charter Change or Cha-Cha.

BMP-Cebu coordinator Dennis Faustino said that the present Constitution recognizes labor’s right of security of tenure, collective bargaining and self-organization, with the Cha-Cha, the fate of workers would be placed at the mercy of capitalists.

“The Cha-Cha debates have been on-going, but little, if none has been said about its ramifications on labor”, Faustino said.

According to him, House Speaker Prospero Nograles has jump started talks on Cha-cha by endorsing a constituent assembly track to overhaul the 1987 Philippine Constitution. Another resolution authored by Rep. Luis Villafuerte seeks to convene a Constituent Assembly through joint voting of the two chambers of Congress. Through the Villafuerte scheme, the constitution may be changed even if no senator casts a vote.

Faustino said that the Villafuerte and Nograles proposals would result ultimately in term extension for the sitting government, wherein President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo badly needs an extended hold on power to shield herself from criminal prosecution for her crimes against the people.

“Delaying Arroyo in office would mean more sacrifices for workers who have gained nothing but hardship from her government.”, Faustino said.

He said that under the GMA administration, contractualization remains a cornerstone policy to attract investors in the country as economic zones have been set up which gave “overwhelming” privileges to investors and capitalists at the prejudice of the workers. —AJ de la Torre and Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon/WAB (THE FREEMAN)