2008: A Year of Intense Struggle for State Workers

Published on January 5, 2009

The fight for a P3,000 wage hike and against SSL 3

2008 is also the year of intensified fight for decent and living wages among state workers.

In the second quarter of the year, Courage, the Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) and the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) formed the All Government Employees’ Unity (All GE Unity) to strengthen the ranks of state workers as they fight for living wages.

They demand that Congress pass the bill providing for a P3,000 ($63) wage hike for government employees, including health workers and teachers, while pushing for a thorough review of the proposed Salary Standardization Law 3.

“Whatever way we look at the Salary Standardization Law 3 (SSL 3), we could not see the ‘justice’ of the P1,851 ($38.95) staggered increment for the basic salary of the employees under Salary Grade 1, Step 1,” Gaite said in a statement.

Emma Manuel, president of the AHW, stated that as SSL 3 deprives state workers of just increases, it also deprives them their rights to negotiate for better benefits.

“As SSL 3 has already specified the bonuses and other benefits that the ordinary state worker should get, it weakens the capacity of the unions entering into collective negotiation agreements or CNAs. SSL3 also repeals the Nursing Act of 2002 and the Magna Carta for Public Health Workers, laws that were legislated through the painstaking efforts and struggles of the health workers themselves,” she explained.

Meanwhile, Antonio Tinio, ACT’s national chairperson, explained that the government-proposed 50-percent salary increase for teachers is unjust. He said his group is for the P3,000 ($63) legislated salary increase.

Continued fight for human rights

Not cowed by the libel case filed against their leader Gaite, Courage continues to campaign for the recognition of public sector workers’ and the Filipino people’s rights to decent living and against state tyranny and oppression.

In November, Courage joined several trade unionists from Canada in the nine-day Canadian Trade Union Mission to the Philippines (CTUMP), which took up the gravity of human rights violations committed against public and private sector workers and the people.

Dasmariñas shared to the delegates of The Public Service Alliance of Canada, United Steelworkers, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers and other Canadian unions the unsolved killings of Courage regional officers, Sammy Dote, Courage-Samar secretary-general; Albert Terredaño, Courage-Abra chairperson; Pax Diaz, Courage-Eastern Visayas Chairperson; and Prof. Jose Ma. Cui, Courage-Northern Samar chairperson.

The four were Courage leaders killed under the Arroyo administration. They were believed to have been slain by state forces.

Aside from the killings, cases of harassment were also presented: harassment/surveillance of Mr. Ricardo Palencia, current Courage-Eastern Visayas chairperson; intimidation, coercion of Cesar Cruz, Courage-Region 12 chairperson and Ms. Nelly Dillera, Courage-Region 12 vice chairperson by agents of National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA); harassment of Ms. Jeannette Ribaya Cawiding, Courage-Cordillera coordinator; and harassment of Tony Alcain and other officers of Courage-affiliated unions in Northern Luzon.

Against corruption

This year, Courage members also intensified their campaigns against corruption.

The immediate target of the state workers’ “offensive” is the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS).

Gaite, for his part, has continuously demanded transparency regarding the use of GSIS funds in investments.

“It is the 1.4 million government employees who will suffer if the GSIS goes bankrupt due to mismanagement and corruption,” Gaite said.

Courage also joined forces with the farmers under the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (Peasant Movement of the Philippines) and Amihan (National Federation of Peasant Women). The groups held the first Peasant-GE Conference last Nov. 28 that tackled the issue of food security, human rights, land reform, wages and job security, and privatization of government agencies involved in agriculture.

Against Charter change

State workers opposed moves to amend the 1987 Constitution.

Last Dec. 12, hundreds of employees from NFA, Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA), Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA); the departments of Agriculture, Environment, Labor, Social Welfare and Development, Trade and Industry, Agrarian Reform and Finance; Sandiganbayan; Makati City Hall, Quezon City Hall, National Housing Authority, National Printing Office, Intramuros Administration, NPDC and the employees of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals, joined the sea of protesters opposing Charter change along Ayala Avenue, Makati City.

The move to amend the Constitution, said Courage, is intended to pave the way for the extension of government officials’ term limits as well as to ease restrictions on the entry of foreign investors.

They said they oppose what they describe as moves to sell the Philippines’ patrimony and economy to foreign companies that are “salivating” on the prospects of entering, owning and controlling strategic and basic services and utilities.

“Aside from the already existing structures and facilities, they are assured of a captive market and thus super profits. These are now starting in the agriculture and housing sector: the National Food Authority, the National Irrigation Administration, and other food-related agencies, as well as the National Housing Authority and other shelter agencies. They want these all privatized and be sold to transnational and multinational corporations. Even the social welfare and health services are being targeted. If this will be the case, expect much higher prices and more inaccessible services,” Courage said in a statement.

The group’s members also said they have had enough of the Arroyo administration and they would not allow another term extension because it would mean more years of salary freezes, unjust working conditions and violations of their rights as workers.

2009: A more intense yet exciting year for the government employees

During the gathering of unions and federations under Courage last Dec. 16, the organization’s 300,000-strong membership projected that 2009 will be a very tough year.

“Based on the economic forecast in 2009, the economy will suffer the blow of the international financial crisis which started in the US. Because of that, this administration will surely intensify attacks on the workers’ rights to jobs and wages. Therefore, we must further strengthen and unify our ranks, educate our membership more about our rights as workers and as a people, and continue fighting for our rights,” said Gaite during his speech at Courage’s Christmas party. (Bulatlat.com)

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