Labor leader Leody de Guzman on Monday lambasted the recent statement of Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero after he said there are no plans to lessen the number of holidays following the online uproar his previous comments stirred. 

“Naglilinaw ngayon si Chiz na hindi naman niya nais bawasan ang pyesta opisyal kundi limitahan na lamang ito at huwag nang dagdagan (Chiz clarified that they did not really intend to lessen the number of official holidays, only to limit it and not to add more),” De Guzman said.

He argued, however, that his recent remark was even more confusing.

Kung sa kilusang paggawa, maari namang isantabi ang naramdamang pang-iinsulto nang nakaraan niyang pahayag, may misinterpretation man o wala. Sapagkat wala pa naman siyang ginawa kundi ang magpahayag lang (As for the labor movement, the insult from his previous statement can be put aside, whether there was a misinterpretation or not. Because he hasn't done anything but to make a statement),” De Guzman explained.

The former presidential aspirant in the 2022 polls reminded that while "labor productivity" in the country has increased, workers' wages have not.

Citing Databank, the labor productivity rose by 42 percent in the National Capital Region from 2012 to 2022, but the minimum wage in the region increased only by 18 percent.

"Kung ang sadya ng ating senate president ay tumaas pa ang produktibidad ng manggagawa, gawin niyong nakabubuhay na sahod ang minimum wage. Nakabinbin ang panukalang legislated nationwide wage increase sa Senado (If the intention of our senate president is to increase worker productivity, make the minimum wage a living wage. The proposed legislated nationwide wage increase is pending in the Senate),” he continued.

"Happy workers are more productive workers. Kapag may maayos na sahod at benepisyo ang manggagawa, at hindi sila nag-aaalala sa batayang pangangailangan ng kanilang pamilya, tumataas ang kanilang output at hindi nila ipinagdadamot ang kanilang likas na kasipagan (When workers have good wages and benefits, and they are not worried about the basic needs of their family, their output increases and they do not resent their natural hard work),” he added.

The labor leader said the best “damage control” that Escudero could do for the workers is to raise their wages “to make up for the insults he made.”