Press Statement
11 December 2010
Labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno welcomed today the House Committee on Labor’s scheduling of a hearing on a bill seeking a substantial wage increase for private-sector workers.
House Bill 375, filed by Anakpawis Rep. Rafael Mariano, is set for a hearing on December 15 by the House Committee on Labor and Employment chaired by Northern Samar 2nd District Rep. Emil L. Ong. The bill seeks to legislate a P125 across-the-board wage increase nationwide.
“We welcome the House Committee on Labor’s hearing on HB 375, which will table for discussion a much-needed and highly significant demand of the workers. We are very pleased with Chairman Ong’s response to our request for an immediate hearing on the wage bill,” said Lito Ustarez, KMU executive vice-chairperson.
“This is one of the first steps towards attaining a substantial wage increase – which has been denied to us under the more than nine years of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s rule,” he added.
“We urge lawmakers to put the wage hike bill on top priority. The basis for its urgency are very evident: prices continue to soar, social services continue to decline, and profits of big firms continue to swell.”
Mass actions ahead
Ustarez said various mass actions are already set in the coming months to push for the passage of the bill.
“We know that a bill for substantial wage increase does not stand a chance of moving forward without the collective action of workers. We know that it is the parliament of the streets that actually pushes forward pro-worker moves in the government’s parliament,” Ustarez said.
Reference:
Lito Ustarez
KMU executive vice-chairperson
