Thousands march to Palace to push for workers' welfare

MANILA, Philippines - Thousands of workers from private and government agencies marched on Tuesday to Malacañan to press President Aquino to act on their demands.

Marking the Labor Day celebration, various groups and unions belonging to labor coalition Nagkaisa! converged along Espana Avenue in front of the University of Santo Tomas in Manila around 7 a.m.

At around 9 a.m., thousands of workers, carrying streamers with the sign "End Contractualization" marched towards Morayta Avenue and then to the Don Chino Roces bridge (formerly Mendiola).

At the historic bridge, the protesters set up a makeshift stage where they held a program.

Mendiola

The workers then gathered at the Chino Roces bridge (formerly Mendiola) in Manila and held a program to celebrate the Labor's Day.

Under the banner of labor coalition Nagkaisa!, members of labor unions and federations converged at the bridge to call on the Aquino administration to address labor issues in the country.

Labor groups that joined the rally included the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), Philippine Airlines Employees Association, Associated Labor Unions, and Buklurang Mangagawa ng Pilipinas.

During the program, the workers chanted "The workers united! Will never be defeated."

Contractualization

Leaders of the labor groups tore a symbolic contract to express their opposition to the prevailing contractualization policy in the labor force in the country.

Labor leaders from the Partidong Manggagawa, Buklurang Manggagawa ng Pilipinas, Associated Labor Unions, Trade Union Congress of the Philippines tore the symbolic contract after reading a manifesto, which outlines the labor issues such as the continuous privatization of government agencies.

The manifesto is entitled "Ibalik ang dignidad ng Paggawa. Magkaisa. Makibaka".

The workers also urged the government for a P125 across the board wage increase and to implement salary standardization.

Dismay

Meanwhile, labor group Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) expressed dismay over reports that the Department of Labor and Employment may only grant between P13 and P21 wage hike.

"Ang nangyayari ay nagiging moro-moro na lang ang usapin ng wage increase. That amount is too small. I hope the government would balance its position," said Allan Tanjusay, TUCP spokesperson, in an interview with ABS-CBN News.

The TUCP filed in March a petition seeking a P90-wage increase in Metro Manila and P86-wage hike in Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon.

The group cited escalating prices of fuel, cooking gas and utilities as "supervening conditions" that warrant the salary adjustment.

However, a DOLE official said the P80 to P90 hike in basic minimum pay of workers is "too high and inflationary."

"We really have to balance. Much that we want to provide higher income, we also have to look into the employers' capacity," Transmonte said in a separate interview.

Trasmonte said the DOLE is seeking to save jobs while meeting the workers' demand for higher pay.

She said employers have earlier warned that a P90-wage increase could mean termination of some workers.

Trasmonte said the DOLE has been looking into a way that would compel employers to provide incentive bonus to workers and non-wage benefits such as transportation and scholarship programs. Katherine Manalo

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