Women decry gender pay gap

On the eve of Labor Day on Tuesday, the Women Workers United (WWU) called for a significant increase in the minimum wage and the elimination of the gender pay gap in both the private and public sectors on Monday.

In a statement, WWU said it supports a P150 across-the-board legislated increase as a first step toward living wages, as well as a P750 daily wage increase for private sector workers.

The group also pushed for a new Salary Standardization Law anchored on a proposed P33,000 monthly minimum wage for public sector workers.

The think tank IBON Foundation estimated the family living wage is P1,207 per day.

“Women workers stand to gain a great deal from a significant increase in the minimum wage, considering women are often found in low-paying and elementary occupations,” WWU co-convenor Jacq Ruiz said.

WWU cited cases of workers in food and manufacturing where men are paid more for operating machinery, while women receive lower wages for equally important tasks like packing and sorting.

In the public sector, WWU highlighted the difference in pay and government funding between female-dominated fields like education and healthcare, and male-led sectors like law enforcement — with the former receiving lower salaries.

“A substantial increase in minimum wages will also induce upward pressure on wages in the informal sector, benefiting women workers who largely comprise it,” said WWU co-convenor Jillian Roque.

The WWU said raising wages across the board would contribute to achieving gender equality.

“Filipino workers — women and men alike — deserve dignified wages and work, wherever they may be in the country,” she said.

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. also paid tribute to workers, highlighting the importance of a stable and secure environment for economic progress.

Meanwhile, the Department of Labor and Employment reminded employers on Tuesday that workers who will be working on Labor Day today, 1 May, are entitled to double their basic salary.