TUCP calls for national conference on oil crisis; urges Congress to suspend VAT implementation

The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), the country’s largest labor organization, today called on Government to immediately call for a national conference to discuss measures to protect workers and their families from the ongoing oil price crises.

The TUCP said representatives of employers, government, and workers organizations should sit down and come up with mutually acceptable actions to cushion the impact of the oil crisis on employment.

TUCP expressed concern over a possible repeat of what happened in the 1970’s when a similar occurrence hit the world. TUCP disclosed that many companies were forced to lay-off workers and close shop after oil prices skyrocketed to unprecedented heights.

The TUCP also called on Congress to act swiftly to address the oil crisis. TUCP proposed to suspend the implementation of the expanded value-added tax law or at least exempt oil-dependent industries from the coverage of the E-VAT, particularly power and the sale of socially-sensitive petroleum products.

TUCP made the proposal in the event that the Supreme Court lifts the Temporary Restraining Order it issued against the implementation of the EVAT.

TUCP said that Congress and the Executive Department should find the legal means to exempt the power and petroleum industry from the VAT coverage.

“This is necessary to save people from extreme hardships even only for the meantime when the country is facing the oil shock”, TUCP said.