'Pinaasa nila ang mga manggagawa': Labor groups slam Congress for delay in tackling wage hike

Labor groups protest what they say is a delay in the approval of wage hike bills in Congress. Kaxandra Salonga, ABS-CBN News

MANILA — Labor groups on Thursday staged a noise barrage at the Boy Scout Circle in Quezon City following the adjournment of the 19th Congress without ratifying the bill to increase the minimum wage of workers.

Although the Senate proposed a P100 wage hike months before the House passed its P200 version, the two chambers failed to reach a consensus on Congress' final session.

Mata said the protest was timed for Independence Day because workers cannot claim real freedom while enduring poverty wages and exploitative conditions.

“Kami po ay galit na galit sa ginawa ng kongreso doon sa wage increase bill. Pinaasa nila ang mga manggagawa mahigit dalawang taon. Dapat ay nagce-celebrate tayo ng ating Kalayaan subalit yung ginawa ng Kongreso at ng Malacañang sa amin kahapon ay pagpapaalala lamang sa ating manggagawa na hindi pa tapos ang ating laban para sa ganap na kalayaan,” Josua Mata, NAGKAISA Labor Coalition convenor said.

The coalition called the failure to pass the wage hike bill “a massive betrayal” of laborers, saying it laid bare lawmakers’ loyalty to elite capitalists.

“Congress could have corrected a historic problem created ng mga regional wage board natin for 3 decades. Ano yung problema na yun? Lahat ng mga minimum wage earners sa buong Pilipinas ay below poverty threshold,” Mata said.

“If they had granted as P200, almost all regional wage levels will be lifted above the poverty threshold, which means at least four million na mga manggagawa o minimum wage earners ay maiaangat natin sa kahirapan. Subalit hindi po yan ginawa,” he added.

He slammed government economists who argue that a wage increase would burden the economy with inflation and rising consumer costs.

“Para saamin yan ay fear mongering. Posible pa magkaron ng dagdag trabaho dahil once you give money sa mga manggagawa, more workers with more money means mas marami sa kanila ang magpa-participate sa ating economy, and therefore, it can drive the economy further,” he said.

The coalition said that the end of the 19th Congress would not stop their campaign for fair wages and economic justice.