The Associated Labor Unions told the 4.1 million minimum wage earners across the country not to expect the P200 monthly subsidy endorsed by the Department of Labor and Employment for approval by President Rodrigo Duterte for fear it might be rejected by the administration’s economic managers.
In a statement, ALU spokesperson Alan Tanjusay said workers should not expect too much from the proposed economic relief.
“I caution minimum wage workers, don’t expect from the proposed subsidy for them. We expect the economic managers to recommend to President Duterte to turn it down,” Tanjusay said.
Tanjusay was referring to Budget Secretary Ben Diokno, Finance Secretary Sonny Dominguez, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque and Neda Secretary Ernesto Pernia who he said expressed disapproval to the measure that ALU proposed to help minimum wage earners cope with rising inflation.
“Our only hope is for Mr. Duterte realize the urgent need for workers to be given economic relief in the face of the incredible series of increases in the prices of commodities and services making life difficult for workers who help and maintain the economic growth at competitive level,” Tanjusay said.
On April 2017, the ALU submitted to Duterte a first-ever government subsidy program for minimum wage earners amid the eroding purchasing power of their daily pay and the rising prices of commodities and increasing costs of services.
Under the Labor Empowerment and Assistance Program (LEAP), an initial 4.1 million minimum wage earners as active-paying members of the Social Security System (SSS) will be given monthly cash vouchers equivalent to P500 to be used in the purchase of grocery items.
The Office of the President was identified as the source of funds for the program for the first year.
However, the DOLE modified the proposal that they submitted to Malacanang last week by giving P200 for the first year, P300 and P400 on the proceeding years to be given the one year in lump sum in one time.
In a related development,
Kilusang Mayo Uno Vice Chairman Lito Ustarez said on Monday that the workers’ outrage might increase if illegal contractualization would continue to prevail in the country.
“We think that if President Duterte’s government continues to follow neo-liberal policy, the poverty would still remain,” he said when asked about his expectations of President Duterte’s term in the next four years.
In Tapatan sa Aristocrat’s 5th anniversary forum in Malate, Manila, Ustarez insisted that regularization should be implemented as soon as possible to prevent future strikes from the workers’ that have been victims of illegal contractualization.
As early as November 2015, Duterte, then-mayor of Davao City, has been campaigning for ending this labor practice.
Back then, Duterte had said that contractualization is not for a country like the Philippines. He even challenged those who disagreed with him to “make sure” he loses the presidential race.
On May 1, President Rodrigo Duterte has signed an executive order stopping illegal contractualization, warning firms involved in the practice that their days were “numbered.”
However, after the recent protests of workers, such as the Nutri Asia workers who staged a strike after about 50 workers were terminated for having participated in a protest condemning the dismissal of five union leaders and members, labor groups believe that President Duterte should start fulfilling his promises of ending ‘endo’ or else workers will continue protesting for the next few years of his term.
“If the current condition of the Duterte government would continue, there is a possibility for more outrage. Until the regularization of 200,000 workers is achieved, as Duterte promised, a new strength will unleash from them like what happened in the Labor Day,” Ustarez said.
“If this will continue, the Filipino workers would not have any progress,” he added. With Patricia Marie Cabela