TUCP to President Marcos: Protect workers’ purchasing power

CEBU, Philippines — The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) has urged President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to take immediate action to protect the purchasing power of Filipino workers as tensions in the Middle East threaten to trigger another wave of inflation.

TUCP made the appeal amid concerns that escalating geopolitical conflict could lead to increases in oil and gas prices, which may eventually push up the cost of food, electricity, transportation, and other basic commodities.

The President earlier said the government is looking at providing free rides and fuel subsidies to help ease transportation costs for workers.

However, TUCP Party-list Representative and House Deputy Speaker Raymond Democrito C. Mendoza said these measures alone may not be enough to shield workers from the economic impact of rising global tensions.

“Mr. President, we cannot speak of potential weekly oil and gas price hikes and the inevitable knock-on effects on the prices of food, utilities, and other basic commodities without acting on long-overdue wage hikes,” Mendoza said in a statement.

He urged the President to certify as urgent the proposed ?200 legislated wage increase currently pending in Congress. Mendoza also called on the government to direct regional wage boards to immediately issue an order granting either a wage increase or an emergency cost-of-living allowance.

According to him, the ongoing conflict in the Middle East constitutes a “supervening event” that warrants urgent government intervention to protect workers’ incomes.

“While we welcome free rides and fuel subsidies, Filipino workers will be the first and the most affected by this geopolitical headwind not only as commuters but as breadwinners of families who will have to stretch already inadequate wages to pay for rising food, electricity, transport, and other daily necessities,” he said.

Meanwhile, Faustino “Bojie” Dy III, Speaker of the House of Representatives, recently expressed support for accelerating wage reform in the chamber.

“We owe our workers a fair and unified wage system, and the House will act on this,” Dy said.

Mendoza welcomed the Speaker’s statement but stressed that wage reform should begin with an immediate increase in workers’ pay. He added that it is about time the long-pending ?200 legislated wage hike be prioritized by Congress.

“At a time when global tensions threaten to trigger another wave of inflation at home, the urgency of raising wages becomes even clearer. Wage reform must always begin with a raise because that is what the workers of this country demand and deserve now more than ever as they continue to struggle in their daily lives. Protecting workers’ purchasing power is now a matter of emergency crisis response,” Mendoza feather said. (CEBU NEWS)