Salary Standardization Law 2015 pay hike to president, other execs 100%, rank-and-file 20%: Courage

MANILA — President Benigno Aquino, Senate President Franklin Drilon, and House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte are among the country’s top executies that would benefit from the proposed Salary Standardization Law (SSL) 2015 pushed by the administration, a public workers’ group said Monday.

Hundreds of protesting employees from various government agencies marched to the Senate to protest the enactment of SSL 2015, now on plenary debates to include retirees.

In an interview, Ferdinand Gaite, national president of Confederation for Unity, Recognition and Advancement of Government Employees (Courage), said that “SSL 2015 is windfall for the executives and officials but mere peanuts for low salaried employees who need the increase more.”

“Ang SSL 2015 ay isang kahungkagan na panukalang batas dahil malinaw na malinaw na makikinabang ang matataas na opisyal ng gobyerno,” Gaite said.

The salary of President Aquino, who now earns a P120,000 monthly compensation, would receive a hefty P200,000 additional monthly income if the measure becomes a law, he said.

Aside from Aquino, Gaite said senators and congressmen, including Cabinet secretaries, agency heads, and judges would benefit from the increase by 100 to 200 percent.

“Doon sa panukala, almost P400,000 ang magiging buwanang salary ng mga opisyal sa gobyerno,” he said.

Mere 20% for public sector employees

Gaite lamented that while high-ranking officials will benefit greatly from the measure, low-salaried public workers like nurses, clerks, traffic enforcers, and even policemen will only receive 20% more in their current monthly wages.

“Percentage wise, ang range ng increases sa directors, congressmen, senators, judges and department secretaries, pati ang Pangulo, from 100 to 200 percent. Sa maliliit na kawani, 20% ang itataas,” Gaite explained.

He said public sector workers would receive only P2,000 – to be given in four tranches or P500 every month every year.

“Doon sa SSL 2015 na ipinanunukala ng Malacanang, Kongreso at Senado, P2,000 lang ang itataas. Ibig sabihin, P9,000 magiging P11,000 kada buwan,” Gaite said.

From the increase, he further explained, minimum wage earners or employees of Salary Grace 1 would get mere P24 hike in their daily salary.

“Kulang na kulang ang bente pesos upang pakainin ang ating pamilya, para sa pamasahe, kulang pa yan upang makabili ng isang kilong bigas, hindi yan sasapat sa pangangailangan ng mga kawani at manggagawa,” Gaite lamented.

“Saan dyan ang tinatawag na social justice, hindi sa batas na ito maipatutupad ang social justice?” he added.

With this, Gaite called on for a P16,000 national minimum wage for all public sector workers.

“Kami ay nanawagan na dapat ang sahod ng mga kawani sa gobyerno ay nakabubuhay. Itong SSL 2015, hindi ito nakabubuhay bagkus nakamamatay. Panawagan namin, national minimum wage na P16,000,” he said. –Ernie Reyes, InterAksyon.com