Hiking workers' death benefits a 'cold' move - TUCP

MANILA, Philippines - The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines on Friday scored President Benigno Aquino III for approving the proposed increase in funeral and disability benefits for workers as long as government institutions can finance them.

"The act of President Aquino issuing an executive order, raising funeral and pension benefits as long as [the] government has the money is a cold and surprising presidential prank for workers looking forward to a restful weekend after a week of hard work," TUCP spokesperson Alan Tanjusay said.

"We are desperate for a living wage and decent social protection benefits in raising and educating our children, and caring for our elderly. We demanded government to pay us back by building our nation’s wealth during our lifetime and not after we die or when our bodies have given in," he added.

President Aquino signed the order on May 26 directing the Employee’s Compensation Commission (ECC) to implement, as soon as they have money, its resolutions in July and November 2013, approving the increase in funeral benefits from P10,000 to P20,000 for both private and public sector workers.

The resolutions also include a 10 percent across-the-board increase in pension only for the private sector.

In the Labor Day dialogue last month, labor groups asked the President to direct Bureau of Internal Revenue Commissioner Kim Henares to enhance fringe and "de minimis" benefit tax exemptions.

They also proposed the government to remove the Expanded Value Added Tax on systems loss in electricity cost as an effort to give workers more disposable income.