Church leaders urged to support wage hike

Archbishop of Manila Jaime Cardinal Sin and Iglesia ni Cristo Executive Minister Eraño Manalo were urged yesterday to ask employers not to stonewall labor’s demand for a P125 increase in the daily minimum wage.

The appeal was made yesterday by Crispin Beltran, chairman of the militant labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno and prospective representative to Congress of the party-list group Bayan Muna.

Beltran said labor and social unrest will intensify if the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) and other business groups start to lay off workers.

"We ask His Eminence Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin to intercede and speak to the business groups to soften their stand against the wage hike, and loosen their vice-like grip on their moneybags," he said.

Beltran said he was reacting to a statement of ECOP president Donald Dee that mass layoffs will take place if a P27 increase in the daily minimum wage is granted to workers in Metro Manila.

"His Eminence should use his influence and appeal to the moral and social conscience of Dee and other capitalists," he said. "Their avariciousness is a crime against humanity and goes against the teachings of the Church." – Sandy Araneta, Romel Bagares