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Workers begin 10-day countdown to wage increase

BULATLAT FILE Photo by Fred Dabu/ May 1 in Manila

By MARYA SALAMAT
Bulatlat.com

MANILA — Days before May 1 Labor Day, the Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) reiterates its call for a pay hike. “Increasing the minimum wage from Php537 to Php750 will significantly lessen the gap between the current earnings and the family living wage,” the national labor center said in a statement today.

“Pres. Duterte has given concessions to US and Chinese businesses, but he has yet to grant a significant wage increase to millions of Filipino workers before Labor Day during his term,” KMU chairperson Elmer Labog said.

The KMU leader said the workers’ demand for a pay hike represented just 75 percent of the amount required to ensure a family of five can live decently. “Php750 will at least allow hard-working Filipinos to eat three meals daily,” he explained. The KMU bases their data from the study of the independent think tank IBON. It said a family of five needs to earn at least Php1,004 to live decently.

From 2009 to 2017, the labor productivity observed per worker in Metro Manila increased from Php 456,059 to Php 614,297, a 35 percent improvement. But the KMU notes that the minimum wage in NCR increased by only 11 percent in the same period.

“The wealth we produce goes mostly to big businesses, while we workers get only crumbs. Granting our demand for Php750 national minimum wage will not only help us cope with high prices of basic commodities, it will also somehow move us closer to getting a fair share of the fruits of our labor,” Labog said.

This coming Labor Day, the group demands a stop to “paying workers lip service.” Instead, Labog said, they are demanding social justice.

“Increasing the national minimum wage is possible and not something that will burden the businesses. A Php750 minimum wage will cost the employers Php132 billion, or just a 14.6 percent cut from their profits,” Labog explained.

“Compared to the 35% labor productivity growth, 14.6% of their profit is such a small amount to be given to those who actually worked hard for business to grow and thrive,” Labog added.

KMU also asserted that the slowing down of the inflation in recent months should not be used as an excuse to deprive workers of a wage increase.

Inflation no excuse to reject pay hike

The Php25 increase ordered last year in NCR to mitigate the price hikes translated to a mere 4.9 percent increase in minimum wage, yet, the record high inflation in 2018 peaked at 6.8 percent in October. KMU said the last pay hike has not really increased nor even adjusted the wage rates to catch up with inflation. In short, the wages that they already considered as too meager are being shrunked further by inflation and other hikes in prices.

While the inflation rate is down to 3.3 percent in March 2019, the prices of commodities remains high, Labog said. As an example, he cited the price of rice which has become Php3.00 more expensive than this month last year.

“To top it all, the price of petroleum products increases almost on a weekly basis,” Labog said.

“The quality of life under this administration is getting worse,” Labog concluded.

“Today the 10 day countdown to Labor Day begins. We will see how Pres. Duterte responds and how candidates support the clamor for wage increase,” he concluded.

The post Workers begin 10-day countdown to wage increase appeared first on Bulatlat.

USAP-USAPAN NG MGA OPISYAL AT TAUHAN NG PNP, ARMY, AIR FORCE AT NAVY

Mula sa FB post ni Paul Galutera

Akala ni Duterte na private army na niya ang AFP at PNP.  Pero ito ang kinalap ni Philippine Army Capt. Isidro Lazaro (assumed name),  isang alumnus ng Philippine Military Academy,  mula sa kanyang mga mistah sa iba’t ibang services, mga usap-usapan na laganap sa mga opisyal at tauhan.

Sa PNP

Kontrolado na ng pamilyang Duterte at mga Chinese triad ang pagpupuslit at pagkakalat ng shabu sa bansa.  Kung kaya bumabaha na ng shabu sa buong Pilipinas at dumarami ang mga adik.

Patuloy pa rin ang pagpatay sa mahihirap sa Tokhang para palitawin na may ginagawa si Duterte sa pagsugpo ng shabu.  Pero siya na ang supreme drug lord.

Mga appointee ni Duterte mula sa DDS niya ang patuloy na pasimuno sa pagpatay ng marami nang mahirap at pagbulsa ng reward money sa ngalan ng anti-drug campaign.

Next only to Bato de la Rosa  ang pinakasikat na katiwala ni Duterte ay si Col. Royina Garma, ang babaeng chief of police ng Cebu City na longtime  girl friend niya mula pa sa Davao City.  Malaki na ang kita ni Colonel Garma sa drugs.  Pero may regalo pa si Duterte na Ferrari sa kanya. Magaslaw!

Sa Philippine Army

Pinataas ang pasahod ng mga sundalo, talo pa ang mga titser at nars, pero nawawala rin ang  umento sa sobrang pagtaas ng presyo ng mga bilihin sa pamilya. Lalo pang isinusubo ang mga sundalo sa peligro na walang hazard pay at  pinapailalim sa overtime na walang bayad at halos walang bakasyon.

Ipinagmamalaki ni Duterte na matapang na macho siya para itulak ang mga sundalo sa panganib, pagod at kawalan ng bakasyon. Pero lumilitaw din  mula sa bukambibig niya na bakla pala at AC/DC si Duterte.  Kaya nakakatawa lamang siya sa mga sundalo tuwing mag-astang macho at matapang.

Dahil sa small arms supply ng Tsina at Russia na dumagdag sa tradisyonal na supply mula US, umaapaw ngayon ng mga small arms sa mga armory ng AFP.  Mga paboritong opisyal ni Duterte ang pakinabang at kumikita sa blackmarket ng mga arms.

Kasalanan ni Duterte na mas mabangis  ngayon ang NPA dahil sa sinira ni Duterte mismo ang peace negotiations.  At ginagawa niyang pambala sa kanyon ang mga sundalo.

Sa Philippine Air Force

Alam ng buong PAF mula sa thesis na sinulat ni PAF Gen. Eldon Nemenzo na atin ang West Philippine Sea at ang likas na yaman sa ilalim nito. 

Halagang USD 26 trillion ang gas at oil reserves na narito.  Sapat nitong lutasin ang pagkaatrasado, kawalan ng trabaho at kahirapan ng Pilipinas.  Talagang traidor si Duterte na bale ibinigay na niya sa Tsina ang West Philippine Sea, pati Scarborough.

Walang hiya si Duterte na tinanggal niya ang PAF commanding general Galileo Kintanar, Jr. dahil lamang sa pag-overflight ng PAF sa Spratlys.  Anong klaseng presidente, ang traidor, duwag at mukhang bayaran ng Tsina .

Ngayon lang panahon ng eleksiyon, umaarte siyang salungat sa panghihimasok ng Tsina.  Pero abangan ang pag-atras niya matapos ang eleksyon.

Sa Philippine Navy

Tinanggal ni Duterte si Philippine Navy Chief Admiral Ronaldo Mercado sa nakaraang taon para lamang harangan ang balak niya na  mag-acquire ng dalawang warship at para bigyan daan ang kurakot ni Duterte at Bong Go sa pagbili ng mas mahal at inferior na frigate.

Tarantado itong si Duterte na ipinako ang Marines sa iilang focus area ng counterinsurgency at wala nang assault reserve force ng Navy.  Pinagbawalan pa niya na lumapit ang Philippine Navy sa artificial islands na kinamkam at ginawa ng Tsina na base laban sa Pilipinas.

Ipinamimigay niya sa Tsina ang mga isla ng Pilipinas sa territorial sea nito.  Pati Boracay ay ibinigay na niya sa mga impiltrador ng Tsina na nagkukunwaring mga negosyante at empleyado nila.

Tiyak na malaki ang suhol kay Duterte kung kaya ibinigay niya sa Tsina ang West Philippine Sea at ang likas yaman sa ilalim nito.  Pati sa paggawa ng mga artificial islands, hinakot ng Tsina ang lupa ng Zambales, Surigao at Davao Oriental.

Kinaya ng Philippine Navy na hulihin at singilan ng USD 1.97 million ang US Navy sa pagsira ng barko sa Tubbataha reef.  Pero si Duterte siya lang ang kumita sa lagay samantalang walang bayad ng Tsina sa estimated USD 12.4 billion na rent sa pag-okupa sa islands at compensation sa damage sa marine environment.  Iniuutang pa ni Duterte ang Pilipinas sa Tsina para maging debt colony nito.

Kongklusyon

Sa tantiya ng kapitan na nangalap ng mga usap-usapan, madaling sumama ang karamihan ng opisyal at tauhan g ng AFP at PNP basta’t lumitaw na ang mga malaking pagbabalikwas ng masa sa national capital region at iba pang lungsod sa mga prubinsya.

International media body concerned of PH’s press situation

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The continued attacks on the country’s press community have reached an alarming level, an international media watchdog has noted.

LENTEN REFLECTION

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This Lent reminds us of the sacrifice and suffering of Christ for peace, justice, and life. We are reminded that the work of peace for our country is indeed a tumultuous path.

Keychains and tumblers for a cause

A Sumifru worker shows us how to make keychains and tumblers. They sell these items to sustain their fight for regularization and for the right to form a union. They have left Compostela Valley in November 2018, following incidents of physical violence, harassment, red tagging and threats against their officers and members. They are now encamped at the Commission on Human Rights compound in Quezon City.

By Ronalyn V. Olea
(http://bulatlat.com)

The post Keychains and tumblers for a cause appeared first on Bulatlat.

Police flags down hundreds of protesters in Bukidnon town

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Law enforcers in Manolo Fortich town held hundreds of peasants from Bukidnon this morning, April 19 while en route to this city to conduct a protest rally on Good Friday.

No more talks with ‘deranged Duterte’–Sison

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Sison also dismissed Duterte’s invitation for him to come home, saying his time is better spent on research, writing and publishing “without being distracted by back channel talks and flip-flops by the mentally, politically and morally deranged Duterte.”

To decide and to believe

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It was a dangerous decision, but this underscores the urgency of that task, which Kaylo readily took on. This decision may have cost him his life, but Kaylo believed in his people and in their capacity to be decisive and to take the fight into their own hands. He had come of age during such a time – during the 1994 pangayaw – and there was no reason to believe that they could not do it again.