After President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. met with labor leaders this morning, the Federation of Free Workers (FFW) is calling for urgent legislative action to address the longstanding issue of poverty wages among Filipino workers.
FFW said it welcomed the recent amendments to the guidelines on the right to self-organization announced by the President. In particular, the labor group applauded the prohibition against red-tagging of workers who organize unions.
“The FFW welcomes the recent policy pronouncement by the Anti-Terrorism Council stating that no government body, agency, officer, or employee, whether civilian or military, aside from the Council itself, has the authority to label or brand as terrorists any individual or group of persons, organizations, or associations, including trade unions and labor organizations. This policy safeguards the rights of workers and their organizations, ensuring that their legitimate activities are not unjustly criminalized,” said Atty. Sonny Matula, FFW president
He added, however, that “despite these positive changes, we express deep concern that the critical issue of adequate wages remains largely unaddressed.”
INADEQUATE REGIONAL WAGE BOARDS
The FFW strongly criticized the inadequate measures taken by referring wage issues to the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards (RTWPBs), which—according to the labor group—have failed to resolve the pervasive problem of low wages, including discrimination against workers employed in the regions who have very low wages.
In response, Matula said the FFW is calling for swift, decisive action through a P150 daily wage recovery by national legislative fiat.
The legislative action, if taken, would implement a significant wage hike across all regions, ensuring that all workers can achieve a decent standard of living amidst escalating costs, the FFW added.
EXPANDED REPRESENTATION
The FFW urged the President to expand representation in the Presidential Commission on Freedom of Association under Executive Order No. 23, “by including at least five representatives from both workers and employers in order to promote a balanced and effective dialogue on labor policies.”
Underscoring the importance of worker participation in policy decision-making, the FFW stated: “No one can speak for workers better than they can speak for themselves. No matter how noble the intention of government programs or projects, without workers’ participation, these efforts are ultimately useless and cannot be appreciated by the workers.”
P150 DAILY WAGE HIKE
The FFW, together with Nagkaisa and other labor groups, persistently pursued a P150 daily wage increase across the board, nationwide. Thousands of workers rallied today behind this cause, chanting “Dagdag sahod isabatas, isabatas! P150, Pataas, Pataas!”
The FFW also welcomes the extension of the contract for service (COS) workers until 2025, as announced by the President, with the ultimate goal of regularization as public employees, and the assistance provided to those affected by El Niño.
“Only national legislative action can bring about, initially, the necessary wage increase to meet the economic demands and discrimination faced by Filipino workers today in different regions,” the FFW stated to the media after the meeting with the President this morning.
URGENT DIALOGUE ON LABOR ISSUES
Present during the meeting were labor leaders led by FFW President Sonny Matula, Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) president Raymond Mendoza, TUCP General Secretary Arnel Dolendo, National Confederation of Labor (NCL) Chairman Ernesto Arellano, Philippine Government Employees Association (PGEA) President Ocampo, National Association of Trade Unions (NATU) President Dave Diwa, Association of Genuine Labor Organizations (AGLO) President Jimmy Miralles, Trade Unions of the Philippines and Allied Services (TUPAS) president Vladimir Tupaz, Philippine Association of Free Labor Unions (PAFLU) President Terry Tuazon, National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) president Milagros Ogalinda, and Confederation of Filipino Workers (CFW) president Gabriel Aranzamendez.
Employers were also present during the meeting. They included: Employers Confederation Of The Philippines (ECOP) President Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr., ECOP vice president George Barcelona, ECOP Governor Renato Almeda, ECOP Governor Antonio Sayo, ECOP treasurer Lucila Tarriela, and former People Management Association of the Philippines (PMAP) President Emerico de Guzman
During the Malacañan activity, the FFW reiterated Nagkaisa Labor Coalition’s call for an urgent dialogue on labor issues. President Marcos was quite amenable and is currently looking for a suitable date in his calendar of activities to discuss these pressing matters.
