Editorial: Advance the struggle for a P125-increase in the workers� daily wage!
The demand of the masses of Filipino workers for a nationwide, across-the-board P125-wage increase is entirely just. It is correct for workers to stand firm and militantly fight for it. Because of its justness, it enjoys the broad support of the various democratic sectors.
The workers' struggle for a wage increase is a major political challenge to the Macapagal-Arroyo regime. If the regime denies the workers' demand for a P125-hike in their daily wage, its rapid isolation from the people stands imminent.
The workers' measly wage can no longer cope with the spiralling prices of prime commodities.
Just this month, oil companies raised the prices of petroleum products by more than 80 centavos per liter. The oil price hike is one of the biggest factors in the rising prices of prime commodities. According to the government's own statistics, prices have been rising by about 7% every month since May.
A research conducted by the National Wages and Productivity Commission, a government agency, has itself shown that a family of six must earn P509 a day to address its basic needs. Thus, the minimum wage of P250 (in Metro Manila) is definitely not enough.
All things considered, the increase demanded by workers will only partially recover their wages' previous value. The Kilusang Mayo Uno estimates that in mid-1999, the peso had plunged 30% from its 1994 value. Since then, the cost of living had risen by more than 87.3%. Thus, the attainment of the demanded 50% increase in workers' wages will put their wages still far below the amount needed for them to recover the big chunk already lost from their earnings.
Filipino workers began struggling for a P125 nationwide across-the-board wage increase as far back as 1998. The struggle was launched amid the rapid deterioration of their livelihood and increase in prices. It was prodded by the severe blow wrought by the social crisis on wages and the social status of workers. The Philippine economy plummeted, marked by a steep fall and bottoming out of the peso's value in the market, a slowdown in foreign trade and local production, increased unemployment and hikes in the prices of commodities.
These past years, the workers' demand for a wage increase has become the main content of strikes and street rallies. The correctness of this demand has been recognized, embraced by the broad ranks of workers and supported by various sectors. In the year 2000, a bill providing for a P125 wage increase was filed but has since been stymied.
Despite the utterly clear and immediate need for a substantial wage increase nationwide, the reactionary government has not undertaken any positive step to address it.
In previous years, orders for insignificant wage increases had merely rubbed salt on the workers' wounds. The accumulated wage increases since 1997 amount to only P69 daily, which is not even enough to cope with the rise in prices of the past years. The gap between the minimum wage, which has been lagging behind, and the rapidly rising cost of living decently, has grown ever wider and now exceeds P292.
The Macapagal-Arroyo regime has been offering crumbs instead, such as the proposed Emergency Cost of Living Allowance (ECOLA) and another proposal to reduce taxes. These are but tiny amounts and stop-gap measures. In fact, businessmen were merely asked to advance the ECOLA. Workers are supposed to give it up once they receive an increase in wages or allowances. Tax deductions, on the other hand, provide such a minuscule advantage and will be recouped by government through budget cuts for social services. Tax deductions, moreover, are not applicable to workers receiving the minimum wage.
Thwarting significant wage increases for workers is being rationalized through rabidly pro-imperialist and antiworker theories and arguments. The most mendacious among them states that wage increases are antiworker because these would supposedly lead to commodity price increases, the collapse of enterprises and rising unemployment and worsen the economic crisis.
The neocolonial policy of cheap labor is the main tactical question being confronted at present by the masses of Filipino workers. This is one of the basic characteristics of the current semicolonial social system that continues to be advanced by the present regime. The all-out struggle of workers for higher wages must be integrated with the struggle against the cheap labor policy that is dictated by the IMF-World Bank and in accord with "globalization", liberalization, deregulation and denationalization.
The workers' sentiments are aflame in the face of the regime's oft-repeated statements that workers must endure austerity measures even as it allows capitalists to gorge themselves with profit. This is also in the face of a situation where leaders and officials of government agencies and public corporations receive millions of pesos in salaries while workers' wages are pegged at very low levels.
Filipino workers must persevere in advancing their demands for a P125-increase in their daily wage in order to block the rapid deterioration in the quality of life of workers and their families. More than this, the continued advance and strengthening of the workers' struggle will serve to consolidate their political and social status and strengthen their capability to advance the struggles of the people and those of their own class.
A bill providing for a P125-increase in the daily wage is set to be filed in Congress. Newly elected Cong. Crispin Beltran, Kilusang Mayo Uno chair and Bayan Muna leader, will be filing the bill. This must be thoroughly supported. The abolition of the law that set up the Regional Wage and Productivity Boards must be likewise be supported, since these are being used to divide the workers, diffuse and weaken their struggle and depress their wages.
The more important factor in attaining victory in this struggle is the establishment of the broadest possible unity among workers along with their perseverance on the road of militant struggle. Any gain attained by the workers, more than anything else, relies on the broadness and intensity of their struggles in the country's factories and streets. Also extremely valuable is the broad support of other progressive sectors and democratic classes in society.
It is the Party and the revolutionary forces' responsibility to raise the levels of consciousness and militancy of workers for them to persevere in the struggle against slave wages and integrate this struggle with the overall struggle in unity with the democratic sectors and classes to smash the oppressive semicolonial and semifeudal social system and pave the way towards full class and people's liberation from exploitation and oppression.
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