Militant labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno asserted on Tuesday the abolition of the regional tripartite wages and productivity boards (RTWPB) after the NCR board yet again issued a measly P35 wage hike order July 1.
KMU called for the reestablishment of a national minimum wage based on the existing family living wage (FLW) currently computed by IBON Foundation at P1207. To date, only the NCR minimum wage is at 51%of its respective regional FLW and the numbers are much worse for regions outside Metro Manila. The P35 wage hike would not make much of a difference.
| Region | Regional FLW for a family of five | Daily Nominal Minimum Wage | Percentage (Minimum vs FLW) |
| NCR | 1197 | 645 (by July 16, 2024) | 53.88% |
| Calabarzon | 1122 | 520 | 46.35% |
| Central Visayas | 1277 | 468 | 36.65% |
| Davao Region | 1175 | 462 | 39.32% |
| BARMM | 2058 | 361 | 17.54% |
Data from IBON Foundation
“35 na taon kaming inihulog sa kumunoy ng Wage Rationalization. Sa 35 na taong ito, binundat ng lakas-paggawa namin ang mga kapitalista. 35 na taon na pinalamon ng buwis namin ang mga opisyal ng gobyerno. P35 sa 35 taon? Dinadala nyo kami sa hukay habang pasasa kayo sa buhay!” said Jerome Adonis, KMU Secretary General.
A study from the Ecumenical Institute for Labor Education and Research (EILER) says that there has been no significant increase in the real value of wages since the implementation of RA 6727 or the Wage Rationalization Act in 1989. Workers’ purchasing power had become stagnant across over three decades.
Adonis said that the P35 NCR wage hike sets the precedent for measly wage hikes in regions outside Metro Manila. He called on all Filipino workers to come together and take action.
“Lahat tayong mga manggagawa at ang ating mga pamilya ay may karapatang mabuhay nang may dignidad. Ang dignidad ay nasa nakabubuhay na sahod. Ang dignidad ay nasa regular na trabaho. Sa respeto sa ating karapatan sa pag-uunyon at mga demokratikong espasyo.”
“Tinanggalan tayo ng Wage Rationalization ng pagkakataon na mabuhay nang may dangal. Sa darating na ikatlong SONA ni Marcos Jr, iturol natin ang galit at paglaban sa basurang patakaran sa sahod at mga tagapamandila nito. Sa SONA ng Bayan, magpamalas tayo ng dumadagundong na lakas!”
Adonis called on workers to come together and form their unions, workers’ associations and other workers’ groups to strengthen their capacity to fight for their rights and welfare.
KMU said that the fight for the reestablishment of a national minimum wage based on the family living wage standard will be the workers’ banner call in President Marcos Jr. ‘s upcoming 3rd State of the Nation Address.