The Federation of Free Workers, a labor rights group, renewed its call to advance workers’ rights as the country marked the 40th anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution on Wednesday.

FFW President Atty. Sonny Matula echoed the group’s position during the opening ceremony at the People Power Monument along White Plains Avenue in Quezon City.

“Isinusulong ng nagkaisang labor coalition ang dalawang daang taas sahod patungo sa living wage, ang kasiguruhan sa trabaho at pagwakas sa ‘endo,’ at pag-respeto ng karapatanng manggagawa na mag-organisa,” he stated.

Matula, a former senatorial candidate in the 2019, 2022 and 2024 elections, has consistently advocated for workers’ rights and reforms in the Labor Code of the Philippines.

Among the group’s proposals is a P200 increase in the minimum wage to move closer to what Matula described as a “living wage.”

The current minimum wage in Metro Manila stands at P695 following a P50 increase enacted by the Department of Labor and Employment on 18 July 2025.

This translates to roughly P16,680 per month, significantly lower than the estimated living wage of P1,251 per day cited by IBON Foundation, a nongovernment organization.

With the looming increase in transportation fares in the coming weeks, based on pronouncements from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, and its expected ripple effect on market prices, the living wage threshold is likely to rise further.

Aside from a wage hike, Matula also pushed for an end to “endo,” the practice of hiring employees for less than six months to avoid regularization.

The Department of Labor and Employment prohibited labor-only contracting under Department Order No. 174 issued in 2017.

Despite this, contractualization remains widespread. A February 2025 survey by the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that of the country’s 49.15 million employed Filipinos, a majority were not regular workers.

Matula said that four decades after EDSA, genuine democracy can only be realized if justice is delivered to workers through fair wages and respect for their rights.

“Walang tunay na EDSA people power kung wala ang workers power ng mga manggagawa sa pabrika, planta, at iba pang bahagi ng ating lipunan,” he stressed.