'Full force' workers mobilize for Labor Day protest, demand P200 wage hike

Members of the labor force will swarm the streets of Manila on Thursday, Labor Day, in protest for the immediate passage of the ₱200 legislated across-the-board wage hike, a proposal left in limbo by Congress over the years.

Lawyer Arnel Dolendo, Secretary General of the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), said in an interview that a “full force” of employees will take part in the Labor Day rally to demand President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Congress fast-track the passage of the needed bill.

Laborers and advocates will march in solidarity from España, Manila, all the way to Mendiola.

“Members of Congress have made a promise to pass the bill before recess. We are firmly holding to that because that is only just for our workers,” Dolendo said.

The Senate passed the bill as early as February last year, but its counterpart measure still pending on third reading in the House of Representatives. The House’s version of the bill is twice that of the Senate, which is pegged at P100.

House proponents of the bill believe that the proposed P200 increase in the daily minimum wage of workers in the private sector is only fair and reasonable to help workers cope with the rising inflation, while keeping businesses — particularly the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) — operational and competitive.

Leaders of the House have pledged that they will pass the needed bill before the 19th Congress comes to an end in June.

There are only six session days remaining for Congress to pass the proposed legislated wage hike when it reconvenes on 2 June following a four-month break for mid-term elections, narrowing the chances of the measure becoming law.

The TUCP, the country’s largest labor federation, has religiously appealed to Marcos to certify the bill as urgent, enabling Congress to pass it on final reading upon the resumption of session, and subsequently hurdling the bicameral conference committee.

The bicam panel will reconcile the disagreeing provisions of the House’s and the Senate’s versions of the bill. Once ratified, the enrolled bill will be transmitted to Malacañang for Marcos’ signature.

The President himself had expressed reservations on the bill, pointing out that it requires further study as it may trigger inflation or an increase in prices of goods and services.

The Employers Confederation of the Philippines has consistently opposed proposals for the wage hike, citing its disadvantage for MSMEs, which it claimed will be severely affected by the increase but won't get anything in return.

Some employer groups have also expressed concern that it may lead to layoffs or force small businesses to shut down.

In the House, Albay Rep. Joey Salceda and Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo—both seasoned economists — are also not in favor of the wage increase for fear that benefits will not be felt in the long run as prices of goods and services are likely to go up subsequently after the increase takes effect.

But Dolendo asserted that the current wage no longer meets the needs of the laborers, especially in the face of skyrocketing prices of necessities, such as food, housing, and transportation.

“All regions have workers earning below the threshold, especially in the NCR. The lives of workers are extremely hard; a wage increase is necessary,” he stressed.

The last wage increase was more than three decades ago when Congress enacted the Wage Rationalization Act of 1989 (Republic Act 6727).

Proponents of the bill believe it is high time to amend the law or pass another legislated wage hike, unfazed by concerns about the possibility of massive inflation, a wave of unemployment, or widespread business closures.