While it is true that the celebration of Labor Day every 1st of May has always been associated with demonstrations and calls for higher wages and better working conditions, it is also proper to spend this day paying tribute to our hardworking kababayan who offer hours of labor every single day.
We want to recognize the sacrifices of our farmers, our construction workers, fishermen, call-center agents, government employees, drivers, entrepreneurs, teachers, medical professionals, lawyers and employees from the private sector. We want to show appreciation toward mothers and grandmothers, sisters and house helpers who work hard, day in and day out, to make sure that the household is running and that workers are able to go to their place of work. We also recognize the work of fathers, of our grandfathers and uncles, brothers and sons—through the work of their hands they contribute in nation-building.
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Today there are plenty of labor-related issues and struggles: lack of job opportunities, low wages, labor contractualization, child labor and other unfair working conditions, among others. The government had said it is doing its best to address these, especially the demand for increased minimum wages.
President Duterte has a special announcement for the workers on Labor Day. According to Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III, the workers are going to receive a special package of benefits from the government. But as far as the increase in minimum wage is concerned, Bello said the petition will have to be studied further and the administration will consider, too, whether businesses could afford it.
Currently, the average wage in Metro Manila is P454 daily. According to IBON Foundation’s data, the current living wage has increased to P1,119 per day—more than double the minimum wage in the metropolis. This is why the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines has petitioned for an additional P157 in daily wages, and a P500 government subsidy for minimum-wage earners. On the other hand, Kilusang Mayo Uno has been calling for a P750 minimum daily wage.
Aside from low salaries, 63 percent of Filipino workers have no job security, as they are currently employed on a contractual basis. This is precisely why groups have been asking for a dialogue with the government to address the issues surrounding the problem of contractualization.
The government said it has lined up, together with partners, a series of job fairs to be held all over the country to open more job opportunities for more Filipinos.
Still, the celebration should not be lost behind all of these struggles. Because the hardworking spirit of the Filipino persists, and we see this around us every day. Labor Day should be dedicated to hardworking individuals who work here and abroad to provide better lives for their families. This is the essence of our celebration today, and we must always seek to find the positive and to cherish it.