‘Pinoy workers must be more empowered’

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino workers all over the world must be more empowered, President Aquino said yesterday, citing the efforts initiated by his administration to create a healthier working environment.

“We are working on stronger coordination between labor forces to hear their sentiments and give them appropriate action. We are urging all those who are part of the industry to do their part in coming up with a fair market where those who are working hard would be merited and would benefit from the fruits of progress,” Aquino said in his Labor Day message.

Aquino paid tribute to the strength and industriousness of Filipino workers all over the world amid a growing economy and greater opportunities becoming available to them.

He gave assurance that government was focused on achieving more meaningful changes that would lead to growth.

“Let us together shape our next steps to a more comfortable and decent future for all,” he said.

Aquino vowed to continue fighting for workers’ protection and benefits through education, training and immediate assistance.

“The situation calls for us to overcome the remaining obstacles to the fulfillment of our dreams. Let us push for peace in the industries and cooperation that will be the wellspring of a vibrant and united Philippines the world looks up to,” Aquino said.

In Cebu to lead the Labor Day celebration, Aquino also reminded Filipino workers that everyone needs to do their part to fulfill their dreams as he cited the gains of his administration in the labor sector, including lesser strikes due to better relations between employees and their companies.

Aquino shared the story of a high school graduate and single mother who landed a job through the help of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

“She was very happy… Before, whenever she wakes up, she only delves on her problems. Now she presented something to me because she really believes the future is bright,” Aquino said.

Lesser labor strikes

Aquino praised Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz for her efforts to empower the Filipino worker but at the same time establish a harmonious relationship between employees and their bosses.

He said Baldoz was focused not on the blame game or meddling but on decent and good efforts.

The President added Baldoz made sure there were no conflicts but rather sought what could be agreed on for the benefit of all.

Under Baldoz, the DOLE established the Single Entry Approach and Speedy and Efficient Delivery of Labor Justice to resolve labor disputes.

If before it took one year to fix conflicts between workers and employers, Aquino said they could now be immediately solved.

He said 77 percent or 80,830 of 104,698 requests for assistance were resolved from October 2010 to December 2014, adding he was certain that Baldoz would work harder to increase that number.

“It was no longer surprising that in 2013, there was only one union that held a strike in the whole country. This was the lowest in the history of DOLE,” Aquino said.

Compared to the last administration when 259 labor strikes occurred, only 12 were held under the current government since 2010.

Aquino expressed hope the trend would continue and that eventually, there would be zero or single-digit labor strikes every year.

Better economy

In Cebu, Aquino attended the JOBStart Philippines forum on the Filipino youth in the labor market, inspected and toured the new facilities of the University of Cebu Medical Center and attended the inauguration of Cemex Philippines’ expansion project.

He went straight to Cebu from Bacolod City where he inaugurated the Negros First Cyber Center as well as the Negros Rice Processing Center in Bago City.

Aquino said his administration’s straight path policy had yielded good results, such as investments that were bringing in jobs for the people.

He said Cemex Philippines invested P3 billion for its facility and employed 800 people for its construction.

At present, there are 950 workers at Cemex Philippines that will increase its production by 1.5 million metric tons per year through its mill facility to reach a four million MT output.

He said the additional production was due to the increased number of infrastructure projects in the country.

The President also disclosed the government’s economic growth target of seven to eight percent this year from an average 6.3 percent gross domestic product growth since 2010, the fastest in 40 years.

Aquino said a better economy would mean more investments and jobs as well as bigger tax collection for the government that could be used for public services.

As of December 2014, for example, Aquino said TESDA was able to provide jobs for 65.3 percent of its graduates from the technical and vocational courses.

He said the government would like to promote such cycle of growth in the country, but continued development would be in the hands of everyone.

The President said if the people would continue with the straight path and choose leaders wisely in the next elections, future generations would benefit.

“May we hold on to every opportunity so we will be able to uplift not just ourselves but our fellowmen and the whole country. This is the time we are waiting for; we now hold the opportunity… let us fulfill our dreams together,” he said.

Support

Lawmakers led by Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said yesterday the House of Representatives will continue to work for workers’ welfare even as he cited them for greatly contributing to the country’s progress.

“We at the House have filed and passed several measures with the welfare of our labor force in mind,” Belmonte said.

“We hope to continue to do our part of being even more supportive and responsive to your needs in gratitude for what you have done and continue to do for the Filipino people,” he said.

“Our labor force in the country, as well as those who contribute greatly to our economy by serving overseas, are the very foundations of this nation,” he added.

Belmonte said while the government pushes for inclusive growth, the House fully realizes the invaluable contribution of ordinary workers in achieving this goal as partners.

Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara, for his part, urged the government to provide local employment programs and higher-paying jobs in the country to encourage Filipinos to stay and work in their homeland.

“The cost of Filipinos working overseas is higher than we think. Yes, we can talk about their remittances that spur our economy but do we really want to become the world’s employment agency? If we ask most of our countrymen, I think they would definitely still prefer to stay at home but with higher-paying jobs,” Angara said.

Angara, acting chairman of the committee on labor, employment and human resources development, lamented that lack of employment in the country is forcing Filipino workers to look for greener pastures abroad.

‘We cannot wait’

Militant labor groups, however, criticized the Aquino administration for failing to meet workers’ needs.

Alan Tanjusay, of the labor coalition NAGKAISA, said workers nationwide would just wait for the next president to respond to their demands that were ignored by Aquino the past five years.

“It seems that labor groups will have to make do for ourselves until a new president emerges in 2016,” Tanjusay said.

During the past five years of his presidency, Aquino failed to improve the lives of workers nationwide, he said.

Workers’ groups celebrated Labor Day yesterday highlighted by their demand for higher wages.

The wage hike demand was aired jointly by the All Workers’ Unity, led by Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) and Confederation for Unity, Recognition and Advancement of Government Employees (Courage).

“There is no debate that the current minimum wage is no longer sufficient and wage hike is really justified in both government and private sectors, covering regular, contractual, job order and other workers and this should be supported by all sectors,” Anakpawis partylist Rep. Fernando Hicap said.

“The current levels of minimum wages set by the Aquino government through the regional wage boards are obviously too low to support a family of five to six,” he said.

In Manila, militant groups marched in major thoroughfares demanding a P16,000 minimum wage.

The police said the rallies and protest marches that marked yesterday’s Labor Day were relatively peaceful, noting that there were fewer participants out in the streets owing to the sweltering heat. – Paolo Romero, Christina Mendez, Aie Balagtas See, Evelyn Macairan, Mayen Jaymalin, Ding Cervantes, Aurea Calica (The Philippine Star)