Appreciating labor

We tend to take small things—and people—for granted.

I’m guessing the boys would know the name of the building receptionist, but do you know the custodian cleaning your floor or the guard downstairs?

Pathetically, I don’t either.

I see them everyday, even exchange some pleasantries, and yet I hadn’t taken the time to ask their names.

It’s quite a disservice to the hundreds of thousands of blue collars that we rarely ever look at them in the eyes. We don’t see them.

That’s a wretched way to appreciate people who perform services that allow us to live the way we are accustomed to.

Hopefully, society can correct this bad habit. We need to acknowledge the invaluable service they render to the public.

A small step toward rectifying this oversight is increasing the monetary remuneration they get.

The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines has been pushing for a P75 across-the-board increase for minimum wage earners in the National Capital Region. The TUCP also wants the cost of living allowance integrated into the basic wage.

TUCP says that of the P75 wage increase, P19 reflects the actual increase in prices from June 2008 to January 2010, P35 reflects the projected rise in consumer price index from January 2010 to December 2010, and P21 indicates the 21 years that there have been no increases in the real wage since 1989.

Minimum wage earners, by law, are supposed to receive P382 daily although many of them are not paid as much.

The last pay increase they got was two years ago back when consumer prices are 5 percent less than today.

Unfortunately, Malacañang says that it is not likely that it could order an across-the-board wage increase.

Manufacturers are just recovering from the global economic slump. Forcing them to increase the workforce’s salary could inevitably cause mass lay offs just so the company could keep afloat.

It’s for policymakers to balance the needs of employers and employees. But perhaps because policymakers are basically of the same social class as employers, employees often get the short end of the deal.

The last wage increase minimum wage earners were given was two years ago. Many companies violate the minimum wage requirement, fail to remit SSS and Pag-IBIG contributions, skirt the law against contractualization and ignore workplace safety but they continue to operate.

That doesn’t sound fair to the people who form the backbone of the economy.

Despite being unable to honor laborers with even just a token wage increase, Malacañang believes it cannot be accused of being unappreciative of the common laborer.

In fact, President Gloria Arroyo appointed her personal manicurist to the board of the Pag-IBIG Fund Board of Trustees and her gardener as deputy in the Luneta Park Administration.

Expectedly, these latest appointments sparked criticisms against Mrs. Arroyo who has earned a reputation of generously giving away government positions as a reward for loyalty.

Deputy presidential spokesman Gary Olivar says the ‘lowly’ positions shouldn’t be a ground to question one’s competence.

Deputy presidential spokesman Charito Planas, meanwhile, says we are being elitist if we think that only college graduates can be appointed to high government positions.

Perhaps if Mrs. Arroyo appointed these two to sit in the board or her family’s corporation or business, nobody would raise an eyebrow. Who she appoints to manage her financial affairs is her business.

It’s a different matter, however, with government appointments because these appointees would ultimately be handling the money entrusted by the people to government.

But we should still take our hats off to Malacañang for honoring these two blue collars with high government positions.

Now, how will Malacañang honor the hundreds of thousands of other laborers who could be just as competent as the other two?

What? No nothing? –JOHNNA VILLAVIRAY-GIOLAGON, Manila Times

johnnavg@hotmail.com