The All Workers Unity (AWU), an alliance of workers from the public and private sector, said on Sunday that the recently implemented P11.50 wage hike in Western Visayas is measly.
The group called the wage hike “a sponge of bile and vinegar that the Jews had made crucified and thirsty Jesus drink.” They also likened the Aquino administration to Pontius Pilate “to the benefit of greedy corporations”.
“Instead of heeding workers’ demands for a National Minimum Wage of P16,000 monthly, this government sends working people and their families to their slow and painful execution by hunger and poverty by continuously implementing these measly wage hikes,” said AWU Spokesperson Rea Alegre.
AWU also reacted to the Regional Wage Boards’ argument that they need to “allow businesses to stay afloat” calling it a worn out excuse to keep wages in the country below living standards.
“It has already been exposed by the IBON Foundation that it will only cost a little more than 17 percent from the profit of these greedy corporations if they implement the National Minimum Wage of P16,000 monthly. This would still leave them a huge P1.3 trillion profit,” Alegre said.
Ibon Foundation’s findings said that “prices of basic goods and services, including the recent MRT/LRT fare hike, have been skyrocketing even without any wage increase.” It also showed that implementing a National Minimum Wage of P16,000 monthly will significantly increase public spending that will stimulate the nation’s productivity.
