Raise workers’ salaries to solve economic crisis

Published by rudy Date posted on August 24, 2010

SAYS ACTIVISTS FROM ASIA, EUROPE

MANILA, Philippines—As trillions of dollars in stimulus packages are running out and as governments deliberate on new ones to stave off the inevitable collapse of the world economy, social movements belonging to the Asia-Europe Peoples’ Forum (AEPF) urge decision-makers to re-think their assumptions and actions.

In discussions prior to the October 2010 AEPF-8, which is the parallel people’s gathering to the biennial heads of states’ Eighth Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM-8) in Brussels, the stop-gap measures of political and economic leaders in these two continents are being questioned by the interregional network of civil society organizations.

“Was there really a rebound? Was it a sustainable rebound? Have the effects of the stimulus package lost steam?” ask AEPF activists of ASEM leaders. The financial and economic crises top the agenda of this October’s ASEM-8.

Charles Santiago, Member of Parliament of Malaysia and AEPF co-coordinator in Asia, proposes a solution to the crisis that has a much longer effect: Raise workers’ real wages.

“Give underpaid workers their real wages and what will they do with it? They will spend all of it. They will buy food, clothing, creating a demand for goods and services. The effect on the economy would be very fast, similar to the stimulus packages,” he said in a news release.

“Except that unlike giving money to the rich, who may buy paintings and other luxuries that create nothing, the poor will 100 percent buy useful things that create local demand for goods and services available locally.”

“Government is subsidizing business when it bails out banks using the stimulus packages. The money should go directly to the people. This is a more sustainable option.”

“All businessmen need to agree to this to make this happen. Businessmen who refuse to accept the logic of this proposal are selfish and short-sighted. The effect would immediately be felt by workers and the businessmen soon after.”

The AEPF is a cross-regional network of activist academicians and parliamentarians, people’s and grassroots organizations, and other civil society groups in both Asia and Europe. It promotes an alternative development paradigm where people and community—not profit and market. It engages ASEM, the gathering of world leaders representing 58 percent of the world’s population and 60 percent of the world’s trade.

On the other hand, ASEM’s 48 members with the prospective accession of the Russian Federation, Australia, and New Zealand represent most of the world’s powers except for the United States. –INQUIRER.net

July 2025

Nutrition Month
“Give us much more than P50 increase
for proper nutrition!”

Invoke Article 33 of the ILO Constitution
against the military junta in Myanmar
to carry out the 2021 ILO Commission of Inquiry recommendations
against serious violations of
Forced Labour and Freedom of Association protocols.

Accept National Unity Government (NUG)
of Myanmar.  Reject Military!

#WearMask #WashHands #Distancing #TakePicturesVideosturesVideos

Time to support & empower survivors. Time to spark a global conversation. Time for #GenerationEquality to #orangetheworld!

July


3 July – International Day of Cooperatives
3 Ju
ly – International Plastic Bag Free Day
 
5 July –
World Youth Skills Day 
7 July – Global Forgiveness Day
11 July – World Population Day 
17 July – World Day for
International Justice
28 July – World Nature Conservation Day
30 July – World Day against Trafficking in Persons 


Monthly Observances:

Schools Safety Month

Nutrition Month
National Disaster Consciousness Month

Weekly Observances:

Week 2: Cultural Communities Week
Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise
Development Week
Week 3: National Science and
Technology Week
National Disability Prevention and
Rehabilitation Week
July 1-7:
National Culture Consciousness Week
July 13-19:
Philippines Business Week
Week ending last Saturday of July:
Arbor Week

 

Daily Observances:

First Saturday of July:
International Cooperative Day
in the Philippines

Categories

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.