The Filipino Nurses United (FNU) welcomes the recent Supreme Court decision to uphold the validity of the minimum base pay for government nurses at Salary Grade (SG) 15. This decision validates the longstanding call of nurses in the public sector that they deserve higher pay than what they’re getting at present.
However, FNU believes that the salary increase must be inclusive of nurses in both the public and private sectors. While we view the minimum base pay SG 15 as a step in the right policy direction, nurses need to push for the P30,000 minimum base pay for nurses in the public and private sectors alike. Leave no one behind.
This means an enabling law is needed. Congress should pass House Bill No. 3478, authored by the Bayan Muna party list of the Makabayan bloc in Congress. HB 3478 proposes, and we agree, that the minimum salary of nurses be upgraded to P30,000, and that adequate benefits be provided for nurses both in the public and private sectors.
MARISTELA PRESTO-ABENOJAR, RN, MAN,
National President
JOCELYN S. ANDAMO, RN
Secretary General
Filipino Nurses United
filipino_nurses2015@yahoo.com