Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) strongly criticizes Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) for dragging their feet on the urgency of a wage hike needed by Filipino workers to reach family living wage standards. The recent wage hearing of the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board–National Capital Region on June 20 only highlights the urgent need for a substantial wage hike. Likewise, it exposes the failure of the wage-setting mechanism assigned to wage boards in the past 35 years and highlights the need for a national minimum wage.
Amidst the extraordinary increase in the prices of petroleum products and basic goods and services, workers grow restless trying to survive on their starvation wages. The delay in implementing a significant wage increase exacerbates the already dire situation faced by Filipino workers and their families.
“It is unacceptable for Marcos Jr. and DOLE to continue delaying the much-needed wage hike while Filipino workers are drowning in the rising costs of living. The Filipino workers are not asking for charity; they are demanding a wage that reflects their labor and allows them to live with dignity,” emphasized by KMU Chairperson Elmer Labog.
Kilusang Mayo Uno urges Marcos Jr. and the Department of Labor to stop the delays in wage hikes and prioritize the immediate implementation of a national minimum wage that meets the family living wage standards in the National Capital Region. Filipino workers deserve a wage that enables them to provide for their families and live decently in the face of economic challenges, not starkly inadequate wage increases.
It is high time for the government to prioritize the welfare of the working class and ensure that every Filipino worker receives a wage that allows them to live with dignity.
KMU called on all Filipinos and workers to unite and amplify our voices in demanding that the government take action in alleviating the long-established economic issues that Filipino workers face by developing national industries that will provide workers with quality jobs with livable wages and better working conditions.