Health workers march for higher wages

MANILA, Philippines — Health workers from public and private hospitals held a nationwide protest yesterday, Health Workers’ Day, urging the government to address issues affecting the health sector.

The Health Workers United for Wage Increase (HWUWI) coalition is demanding an entry-level salary of P33,000 for public and private health workers, and the release of unpaid benefits such as health emergency allowances and performance-based bonuses for 2021-2023 for public health workers.

The coalition is also calling for job security and mass hiring of permanent health workers to augment severe understaffing in public hospitals and health facilities.

“Instead of celebrating, we are here on the street protesting because of the government’s continued negligence when it comes to health workers and people’s needs,” said HWUWI convenor and Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) national president Robert Mendoza.

Health workers are still waiting for their “much deserved and long-overdue health emergency allowance,” said St. Luke’s Medical Center Employees Association president Roldan Clumia.

“We demand transparency from the Department of Health. They should provide us with a copy of the final list of private and (local government unit) hospitals and health facilities that were not yet given their COVID-19 allowances,” said Clumia, who is also an HWUWI convenor.

Public health services have worsened due to severe understaffing and the nurse-to-patient ratio has widened, said AHW secretary general Cristy Donguines.

“Patients in wards and outpatient departments have quadrupled as compared to previous years,” she added.

Apart from the protest march to Mendiola in Manila yesterday, AHW unions and chapters in Baguio City, Iloilo, Bacolod, Cebu, Soccsksargen, Camarines Norte and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao also held simultaneous protest actions.

Wage hike

Workers’ groups are expecting the House of Representatives to grant today their demand for a P150 legislated wage hike.

The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) expressed confidence that at the House committee on labor and employment hearing, Congress will give workers the “long overdue and much-deserved” legislated wage increase.

Workers rely on Congress to provide the much-needed wage relief since the wage boards only give measly increases, TUCP said.

It would take regional tripartite wages and productivity boards 10 years to give a P150 wage increase, the TUCP noted.

From P89 in 1989, the minimum daily wage rate rose to P610 in 2024, or an average of only P15 per year.

TUCP welcomed President Marcos’ directive to regional wage boards and the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) to review and reform wage rates and policies in the country amid inflation.

Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma has been remiss in his duty to uphold every Filipino worker’s right to a living wage, estimated by the NWPC at P917 back in 2008, TUCP said.

“If we keep on believing all the smooth talk and no concrete action of the labor secretary, not only will workers get another token increase from the regional wage boards but the nation will only see mere investment pledges on paper,” the group said.