Bacolod-based labor groups slammed the delay in deliberations on the petition for a wage increase in Western Visayas and the Russian forces human rights abuses in Ukraine on Thursday, April 28.
The General Alliance of Worker’s Association (GAWA), Philippine Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Workers Union (PACIWU) and other allied labor groups will launch the “We Stand With Ukraine” movement in Bacolod City on Friday, April 29, Wennie Sancho, GAWA secretary general, said.
They are launching the movement to raise awareness against the humanitarian crisis triggered by the atrocities committed by the Russian forces that have led to the death and suffering of civilians and the massive destruction of infrastructure in Ukraine, he said.
“To be silent about these tragedies and to look the other way is a form cowardice. We must speak out to condemn in the strongest possible terms, the violations of international laws and the genocide going on in Ukraine committed by the Russian military forces. The courage, bravery and resiliency of the Ukrainians should be emulated to strengthen the value of nationalism,” he said.
WAGES
Also to be discussed at the labor forum Friday is the delay in the deliberations of the wage increase petition before the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board in Western Visayas, Sancho said.
The schedule of the wage increase petition was reset to May 12-13, after the holding of the national and local elections, he said.
“A very vital issue of wage increase was taken for granted by the management and government representatives in the regional wage board. This is a display of government’s indifference to the wage increase issue. Holding wage deliberations after the elections will water down, if not downgrade, the issue and it will be overshadowed by the results of the elections,” Sancho said.
A daily minimum wage of from P450 to P750 in Western Visayas is being pushed, but management is asking that any increase be deferred until the end of the year because they have yet to recover from the pandemic that brought “the business sector to its knees”.
The current WV minimum wage is from P310 to P395 per day, depending on the industry classification as provided under Wage Order 25.
ELECTRICITY
Labor and consumer advocates at the forum will also launch the Electric Cooperative Action Desk (ECAD) under the Power Watch Negros Advocates Inc., Sancho said.
ECAD will assist the Central Negros Electric Cooperative consumers in filing formal complaints in court or before government agencies, if their grievances are ignored or not attended to by CENECO.
ECAD will be the para-legal arm of Power Watch Negros to raise issues and concerns being kept by the CENECO management or swept under the rugs, despite allegations of anomalies and mismanagement in CENECO, Sancho said.*