PGMA’s exploitation and deception of workers will cause upheaval - KMU

”We’re fed up.”

This was the statement of KMU Chairperson Elmer ‘Ka Bong’ Labog to Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo this International Labor’s Day for her continued rejection of the workers’ pressing demand for a meaningful wage hike. KMU and its allied organizations staged huge protests in different parts of the country today.

“Labor Day will be commemorated with greatest militance by workers who suffer in their greatest poverty these days.

“Arroyo should better be serious in granting meaningful wage hikes. If she thinks she can pacify the workers by giving bogus increases through regional wage boards and meager benefits, then we’ll prove her wrong.

“We are giving Gloria a stern warning. The crisis that besets the workers and the people today will result to continued unrests and an upheaval that will end her rule. The food riots we predicted last March are still a possibility since the Arroyo government does not address seriously the rice and food crisis, and the declining livelihood of the people.” Labog stressed.

Most deprived

”The demand for P125 wage hike gains more justification amidst the present skyrocketing of costs of almost all goods.”

This year, the price of rice increased by 44%, fish by 14.3%, pork by 23%, chicken and vegetables by 20%, and cooking oil by 56% since April 2007 according to the Department of Trade and Industry itself.

Since Arroyo assumed office in 2001, the national average of living wage was P445.53 according to the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC), while national average of minimum wage was P222.42. If the P125 was granted then, wages would still be short by P98.11 for a family’s living.

After seven years of Arroyo’s cling to power, average living wage now is P770. Average minimum wage, however, is pegged at only P246.56.

Most exploited

Labog also disproved businessmen’s claims that they cannot grant the P125 wage increase because it will eat out their earnings, which will translate to further inflation.

“It is impossible for the capitalists not to have the capacity to give the P125 wage hike. From 1999 to 2006, labor productivity has increased nominally by 56.3%, or 13.1% in real terms,” Labog said, quoting IBON think tank’s study.

“Gloria always brag about the Philippines’ rising GDP. This means that total production and earnings in the country is increasing, but to whom did all of these go to?”

Most betrayed

Labog slammed one by one Arroyo’s phony gifts to the workers this May One.

For the Livelihood Assistance, which the Malacanang has not yet detailed, Labog said “They should normally grant these. Most wage adjustments given by wage boards, moreover, are only COLA adjustments.”

For the Philippine Health Insurance Corp.’s coverage for an additional 2,000 workers in the informal sector, “They’ll only spend a measly amount for this. It also encourages growth of the informal sector, which is actually happening due to prevalent contractualization and lay-off of workers.”

For the Productivity E-Learning, “Who will benefit from this? How can a worker use a computer and invest his earnings if his wages cannot catch up with his expenses?”

And for the job fair that will recruit for 50,000 jobs, “This is only a small percentage of the more than 4 million unemployed and the more than 5 million underemployed in the country. And what kind of jobs do the people again expect from this – short-term, under skilled, and low wage jobs?

Bogus wage hikes

Regarding the 10% wage increase for government employees, “Isn’t this given already under the SSL? And this is still a far-cry from government employees’ demand for a monthly P3,000 across-the-board wage hike.”

Labog again slammed the move to increase wages through the regional wage boards.

”Wage boards should be abolished. It has been proven historically that these are just deceitful instruments to give meager adjustments, to divide workers in the campaign for an across-the-board hike, and to evade a legislated,” Labog said.

“The Western Visayas regional wage board, for example, already revealed that 80% of companies there will be exempted if ever they decide to increase wages. Even NWPC executive director Ciriaco Lagunsad III have said a number of times that a large percentage of companies and factories throughout the country do not comply with wage orders from the wage boards, and yet go unpunished.”

Support for P125

KMU now opens doors to Senator Ramon Revilla’s filed bill that favors a P125 across-the-board wage hike, but will be distributed in a three-year span. KMU is now studying the bill.

In the Lower House, KMU called for the urgent passage of HB 1722 by Anakpawis Congressman Crispin Beltran. Two years ago, a similar bill that will grant a compounded P125 hike reached the 3rd reading of the Congress, but was stalled by Cong. Crispin ’Boying’ Remulla for technical matters.

End the regime

”Gloria has the guts of declining workers’ demands, while she enjoys the huge amounts she has corrupted from us and the people.” The 130 million dollar supposed kickback from the NBN deal is already equal to the wages of 72,337 minimum wage earners for one year, or 62,346 workers without the COLA.

KMU called on the people, “People power is still the answer. The people have to trust in their collective action and fight for the end of the regime that has deprived them greatly, and work for a society that will uphold genuine national freedom and democracy.###

Download statement

April 30, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Reference:
Sarah Katrina Maramag
Vice-Chairperson/Media Officer, 09193486790

Eleanor de Guzman
Chairperson, 09282555423

SACK GLORIA!
Youth group unveils 'longest sako-quilt' vs. high prices

Youth group Anakbayan today launched its 'longest sako-quilt' campaign as protest against soaring prices of food, oil products, utilities and other basic commodities.

Urban poor youth and students converged along Trabajo in Espana this morning to unveil colorful streamers made of pieces of empty sacks (sako) sewn together.

The protesters called on the public to 'Sack Gloria!' for failing to curb the present economic crisis which continuous to be a burden to Filipino families.

Anakbayan said that the 'sako-quilt' is one way for youth and students to voice out their protests. "We will put empty sacks into good use. Tutal wala namang lamang bigas ang sako, mabuti pang gawin na lang sulatan ng mensahe ng kabataan kay Arroyo," said Anakbayan national chairperson Eleanor de Guzman.

"Dole-outs and other band-aid solutions are but empty promises that do not deal with the real issues at hand. The people are right and justified to blame this government for failing to address the root causes of the present economic crisis," de Guzman said.

De Guzman said that the youth group plans to unveil the 'longest sako-quilt' on Anakbayan's 5th National Congress on May 24-27 to be held in Metro Manila. ###
 

Download statement
 

KILUSANG MAYO UNO

(May First Labor Center)
TAGAPAMANDILA NG TUNAY NA UNYONISMO
No. 63 Narra St. Bgy. Claro, Proj. 3, Quezon City
Telefax 421-0768, Ph: 421-0986
email: kilusangmayouno@gmail.com, website: www.kilusangmayouno.org

NEWS RELEASE
April 30, 2008

Militant unions slam DoLE for token activities Workers stage noise barrage vs. hunger, poverty on Labor Day eve

On the eve of the Labor Day, multisectoral groups will hold a noise barrage in Welcome Rotonda as a 'warm-up' to even more scorching protests and activities tomorrow. Nationally-coordinated protests and activities for the international Labor Day tomorrow will focus on renewed calls for the ouster of the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo government as workers take in the convergence of anti-Arroyo sectors and personalities in Manila and major urban centers.

"Workers are hungry and angry over the Arroyo government's callousness in addressing demands for wage hikes, price controls and significant economic reforms. We can only blame the government's pro-foreign and pro-business policies for the worsening economic hardship felt by the country's poor, especially workers who were deprived with economic relief."

Kilusang Mayo Uno chapters and affiliates in major urban centers and provinces nationwide will lead the simultaneous protests in Baguio, Ilocos region, Central Luzon, Laguna, Cavite, Rizal, Batangas, Bicol, Cebu City, Panay-Negros region, Davao, Cagayan de Oro and South Cotabato. In Manila, labor unions and other militant organizations including BAYAN, Gabriela, Anakpawis, Courage and protest convenors under the Labor Day Committee 2008 will assemble in points at Blumentritt, Tondo, UST Espana, Stop and Shop and Quirino Avenue in Taft.

"We have more than enough just reasons to demand Arroyo's ouster. We can't wait for 2010 to have her removed as President. The sooner Arroyo is removed from office, the sooner can workers achieve economic relief. Removing a corrupt and burdensome leadership is already a major relief for the entire country."

Need for legislated wage hike among major calls

Aside from the usual fiery speeches and colorful marches from the assembly points to Liwasang Bonifacio where the main program will take place, labor groups will carry giant panel boards with "P125 across-the-board wage hike" slogan to underscore the urgent need for significant wage adjustments, not through the regional wage boards but through immediate legislation by Congress. "Calls for a legislated wage hike are justified now more than ever with the rising cost of all products, utilities and services."

KMU Chairperson Elmer Labog said that more working families will benefit directly and indirectly from an across the board wage increase. Over 17.5 million wage and salary workers and their families stand to benefit directly from an across the board wage hike compared to 2.8 million minimum wage earners. He said that even non-wage workers, the informal sector and local businesses can benefit indirectly from the higher purchasing power of millions of workers."

DoLE token activities scored

KMU also scored once again the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) for its trivial observance of Labor Day. Labor Secretary Marianito Roque announced that DoLE will sponsor free job fairs, job assessments and certification for poor students as part of the "Manggagawang Pinoy: Kasangga sa Pagsulong ng Kaunlaran" activities of the Labor Department tomorrow.

"DoLE remained unresponsive to the most urgent needs and demands of Filipino workers. They can only make do with frivolous celebrations during Labor Day while neglecting more important concerns for significant wage increase, job security, regularization of jobs, protection of local and migrant workers and respect for trade union rights."

Minimum wage lunch to mark start of Asia-wide wage campaign

Women workers from KMU-Women and Kilusan ng Manggagawang Kababaihan (KMK) will sponsor a minimum wage lunch at the Espana converging point tomorrow. ►►►►►

 

The Asia-wide Wage Campaign 2008 by the Committee for Asian Women (CAW) will start with the Minimum Wage Joint Action in the Philippines, Thailand, South Korea, Indonesia, China, Hongkong, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, India, Nepal and Taiwan. "In the Philippines, our contribution to this campaign will be the continuing fight for the P125 legislated wage increase," said Nenita Gonzaga of KMU-Women. ###

References:
Presto Suyat, Spokesperson - 09156029211
Elmer Labog, Chairperson - 09215366115
Download statement

Rep. Crispin Beltran

KMU Chairman Emeritus

Elmer Labog

KMU Chair

Teofisto Guingona

former Vice President

Streetwise

(In celebration of May 1, the International Workers Day)
by Carol Pagaduan-Araullo

"Globalize" resistance and protest

"It's a global phenomenon-- there is nothing we can do about it." This has been the stock response -- or cop-out -- of the Arroyo regime whenever oil prices go up. Now, with the price of rice suddenly leaping sky-high; the long queues for government-subsidized rice an everyday scene; government at its wit’s end trying to secure contracts from foreign suppliers to fill the country’s production shortfall; and foreign creditors ringing alarm bells over looming hefty increases in the government’s budget deficit, the regime again resorts to the worn-out excuse to sidetrack its failure to effectively address the rice crisis.

But this time around, we can readily agree that the rice/food crisis is happening worldwide and its immediate causes and historical roots cannot be strictly confined to the specific policies and concrete situations obtaining in particular countries. Indeed, the international agribusiness cartels such as the small clique of corporations that control the world's fertilizer and pesticide market, the largest seed companies (e.g. Monsanto), the largest grain traders (e.g. Cargill) and the world’s big food processors (e.g. Nestle), their local business partners in third world countries and the homegrown trading cartels (e.g. in rice) have made a killing in the midst of growing hunger, food riots and panic buying by governments and households.

Having said that, we reiterate that the Arroyo regime is not blameless, in fact it must own up to and be held accountable for the neoliberal policies and programs it has perpetuated and even accelerated in implementation that today aggravates the rice crisis.

The World Bank and mainstream analysts highlight demographics such as increasing populations and the supposedly higher standards of living in countries with large populations like India and China, together with the massive shift to biofuels in a world grappling with record high fossil fuel prices, as the culprits behind the rising global grains demand while supplies have been dwindling because of natural calamities, climate change brought about by global warming and extensive land use conversion. So allegedly, no one is really to blame, least of all the national governments that are facing political instability because of the food/fuel crisis.

What we are slowly finding out is that of the host of factors that are man-made and preventable, corporate greed and neoliberal globalization policies pushed by the IMF-WB-WTO and readily adopted by subservient governments of developing countries like the Philippines, are actually what underlies the surge in prices of wheat, cooking oil, fruit and vegetables, as well as of dairy and meat since 2007, and the sudden spikes in rice prices at the start of 2008.

According to GRAIN (see mrzine.monthlyreview.org/grain260408.html), an international non-governmental organization which promotes the sustainable management and use of agricultural biodiversity:

“Nothing that the policy makers say should obscure the fact that today's food crisis is the outcome of both an incessant push towards a "Green Revolution" agricultural model since the 1950s and the trade liberalization and structural adjustment policies imposed on poor countries by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund since the 1970s. These policy prescriptions were reinforced with the establishment of the World Trade Organization in the mid-1990s and, more recently, through a barrage of bilateral free trade and investment agreements.

“Together with a series of other measures, they have led to the ruthless dismantling of tariffs and other tools that developing countries had created to protect local agricultural production. These countries have been forced to open their markets and lands to global agribusiness, speculators and subsidized food exports from rich countries. In that process, fertile lands have been diverted away from serving local food markets to the production of global commodities or off-season and high-value crops for Western supermarkets. Today, roughly 70% of all so-called developing countries are net importers of food. And of the estimated 845 million hungry people in the world, 80% are small farmers.” (Underscoring supplied.)

Governments of rice exporting countries like India and Vietnam have banned and/or restricted sales outside their borders in an attempt to delink their local rice pricing from out-of-control speculation in the international commodities market, tame domestic inflation and protect their own food security. On the other hand, governments of rice-importing countries, foremost of which is the Arroyo regime, are trying to assure their own rice buffer stock by hiking their target volume of imported rice or buying earlier than normal, in the process driving up prices even more. Countries that are not self-sufficient in rice, lured by the IMF-WB line about it being more efficient and cost-saving to simply import rice than grow it themselves, are reduced to scrambling to buy as much as they can even at such artificially inflated prices or risk being booted out of power. Indeed, there is a direct connection between the Arroyo regime’s own political crisis and its rice-buying frenzy.

GRAIN reveals, “Today the world's poorest countries are forced into an intense bidding war against speculators and traders, who are having a field day. Hedge funds and other sources of hot money are pouring billions of dollars into commodities to escape sliding stock markets and the credit crunch, putting food stocks further out of poor people’s reach. … One firm calculates that the amount of speculative money in commodities futures -- markets where investors do not buy or sell a physical commodity, like rice or wheat, but merely bet on price movements -- has ballooned from US$5 billion in 2000 to US$175 billion to 2007.

"Such record profits have nothing to do with any new value that these corporations are producing and they are not one-off windfalls from a sudden shift in supply and demand. Instead, they are a reflection of the extreme power that these middlemen have accrued through the globalization of the food system. Intimately involved with the shaping of the trade rules that govern today's food system and tightly in control of markets and the ever more complex financial systems through which global trade operates, these companies are in perfect position to turn food scarcity into immense profits. People have to eat, whatever the cost."

Now more than ever, toiling peoples everywhere -- blue collar and white collar, those working the fields as peasants or as independent farmers, those who labor in sweat shops of the Third World or in factories of the advanced capitalist countries, those who work at home as subcontractors or on the sidewalks as itinerant vendors -- must realize how neoliberal or imperialist globalization is surely and rapidly destroying their livelihoods, their right to decent standards of living, and their aspirations for a more just, peaceful and egalitarian society. There is no other recourse than to “globalize” resistance against such unbearable conditions of existence and to struggle together to win a future with hope. #

Download article
 

Home