P125 wage hike before GMA's 100% salary hike -Maza

“Hindi na nahiya. Bago pa man matalakay sa budget at bago pa man ipagtulakan ang 100% dagdag sahod sa mga opisyal ng gubyerno, higit na karapatdapat mabigyan ng dagadg sahod ang mga karaniwang manggagawa. More than President Arroyo and more than any other government official who has enjoyed the privileges of public office, it is the deprived almost destitute private sector worker that deserves a pay hike.”

Thus said Gabriela Women’s Party Representative Liza Largoza Maza today pushed anew for the approval of HB 1722 and HB 1962 providing for P125 across the board wage hike for workers and P3,000 salary hike for government employees respectively. The House of Representatives Committee on Labor is set to tackle tomorrow, HB 1722.

Meanwhile, Malacanang’s proposal which is integrated in the 2009 national budget, increases government officials’ salaries by 100% but provides increases for rank and file government employees by only 50% to be given in increments for four years.

“It would be scandalous to increase the President’s salary from P60,000 to P120,000 monthly when 25.4 million Filipinos barely survive on less than Php 60.00 per day.”

The latest report from the Asian Development Bank has pegged the poverty line at $1.35 or roughly Php60.00. The new poverty indicator now puts 29.5% of the population living below the poverty line under the administration of President Arroyo.

“This simply means that more than the policy of dole-outs meant to give this administration its “Barbie points” we need to implement measures that will immediately relieve the poor of the economic downturn, such as a legislated wage hike,” said Maza.

“The unacceptable gap that exists between daily cost of living and the actual nominal wage needs to be addressed. While the family living wage or the daily cost of living for a family of six is now at Php 894.00, wages have remained at Php 382.00 in the National Capital Region. It is worse for those in ARMM whose wages are pegged at a meager Php 200.00 per day.” #