By ALDWIN QUITSOL
www.nordis.net

Photo courtesy of KMU

BAGUIO CITY — The labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) told the Employers’ Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) to stop blackmailing the workers of possible retrenchments and business closures because of the approval of the P22 minimum wage increase in Metro Manila.

KMU said it is the tactic of the ECOP to dissuade the workers from calling for substantial wages. KMU national chairperson Elmer Labog said ECOP should shut-up and stop its layoff blackmail against workers who only wanted to survive amidst the rising cost of living. He said their argument of potential job cuts due to the petty P22 wage increase is an added insult to the Filipino workers who are long deprived of decent wages.

Earlier in June this year, the regional wage board of the National Capital Region (NCR) approved a P22 minimum wage increase putting the workers’ salary to P404 per day. The said increase will be implemented on July 1. The rest of the regions including Cordillera did not receive any wage increase.

Labog said that even without any wage increase, mass retrenchments and layoffs have been implemented through the years. He declared that ECOP is creating a double nightmare. He said that it is pushing the workers into joblessness even as they receive crumbs all in the name of further reducing labor costs to maximize profits.

According to KMU the reported net earnings of major domestic companies actually increased to P358 billion in 2009 as stated in the latest Philippine Stock Exchange report. KMU said it clearly debunks the myth of companies which are said still suffering from the economic crisis.

According to Labog, ECOP is overreacting as usual to a tiny wage hike which does not affect its members’ big profits to the extent of blackmailing the workers of massive retrenchments and business closures that will cause joblessness.
The labor leader warned ECOP against turning its blackmail into a nightmare by implementing mass job displacements upon the expected day of the implementation of the P22 increase. Labog also said they are warning other business groups against imitating ECOP’s antics.

KMU said it is ready to hold massive protest actions should the business groups push through with their blackmail. The labor group said they will definitely taste the wrath of angry workers.

KMU also said that they will continue to pressure the new administration of Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III to act on the P125 nation-wide wage hike immediately. #nordis.net