Raise workers’ salaries now

“REMUNERATION IS the most important means for achieving justice in work relationship.” (No. 302, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church)

The Promotion of Church People’s Response (PCPR) salutes the Filipino workers and all the workers of the world on the occasion of Labor Day. The fruits of their labor and sacrifices are in every aspect of our private, corporate, collective and communal life.

However, in spite of their contribution to the task of nation-building, workers remain poor and suffer due to low wages, inhumane working conditions, job insecurity and other exploitative schemes. They are oppressed, the reason they cannot enjoy their basic human rights.

The last Social Weather Stations survey reveals that 51 percent of Filipinos consider themselves poor despite a new government in place. The IBON Foundation estimates that 64 million people are living on less than P104 per day. Our workers and their family cannot cope with the skyrocketing prices of oil, basic goods and services. The minimum wage of P404 is far from the needed P983 set by NSCB as the family living wage.

On the other hand, the government’s claim of a 7.3-percent increase in GDP last year seems to have benefited not the working class but the foreign and local big business, as shown by the inclusion of some of the richest Filipinos in the latest Forbes Magazine report. Furthermore, the reported P32.2-billion income of the three big oil companies spotlights the large gap between the income of minimum wage earners and big corporations.

The Aquino administration’s response to the rising poverty index, the so-called “Pantawid” program, will not solve this problem. Even though President Aquino promised he would uplift the living condition of the people, he would not assure the workers of any increase in the minimum wage. Worst of all, Malacañang spokespersons are threatening the public with the so-called negative implications of a wage increase. Meanwhile, many workers are caught in different exploitative schemes (e.g, contractualization, labor export policy) that undermine their sense of security.

We believe that the workers have all the right to enjoy the fruits of their labor especially in times of crises. We are fully supporting the call for a nationwide, across-the-board increase in the minimum wage for private and public employees. We would also like to register our strong condemnation of the continuing violations of workers’ rights to job security and the right to form associations.

The dignity of labor must be protected and defended. We believe that the injustice being done to the workers runs counter to the will of God who wants an abundant life for all.

The PCPR, as a community of faith, renews its commitment to work with our poor brothers and sisters in their struggle for justice and freedom.

—NARDY SABINO,

general secretary,

Promotion of Church

People’s Response,

[email protected]