Employees of different government agencies held their protest actions today to demand for the P16,000 national minimum wage.
The employees came from the National Food Authority, National Housing Authority, Department of Social and Development, Deparment of Agriculture, Department of Agrarian Reform, Quezon City Hall, Senate of the Philippines, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, National Printing Office, Bureau of Animal Industry, National Meat Inspection Services, People’s Television Network, National Museum, Rizal Park, Sandiganbayan and MMDA. Employees from the country’s trial courts, water districts and local government units also reportedly joined the walkout.
Ferdinand Gaite, national president of Confederation for Unity, Recognition and Advancement of Government Employees (Courage), said they are left with no choice as prices of basic goods and services have increased.
“Our salaries have remained frozen at starvation levels. We dare our government officials to subsist on our current minimum pay of P9,000 a month sans mandatory deduction. For we all know, this may not be even enough for their monthly electricity bill”, Gaite said.
Gaite said the last salary adjustment was in 2012.
“Since then, employees had to rely on their meager benefits. But the government even has the gall to disallow, withheld and ordered the refund of these benefits they consider as without legal bases. It is high time that we push for a new demand, a national minimum wage of P16,000 monthly to bring closer our salaries to even half of the government estimate cost of living which stands at P32,000 a month,” Gaite said.
Gaite said a national minimum wage will benefit workers from both private and public sectors.
“This will also challenge the discrimination brought upon by the different wage levels in the country and the “second class citizen” treatment imposed on our LGU employees,” Gaite said.
