Senate employees protest tax on gov’t workers’ fringe benefits
Wearing red ribbons and button pins, some members of the Senate employees’ union held a silent protest on Tuesday against the imposition of withholding tax on government workers’ benefits. Maila Ager/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines – About 100 union members of the Senate came out of their offices on Tuesday to protest the imposition of withholding tax on government workers’ fringe benefits.
Wearing red ribbons and buttons, members of the Senate employees’ union Sandigan ng mga Empleyadong Nagkakaisa sa Adhikain ng Demokrasyong Organisasyon or S.E.N.A.D.O-COURAGE, led by its president Dakila Millamena, trooped to the hearing of the Committee on Ways to protest the government ‘s move.
Millamena said they did not abandon their work but they just came out to attend and listen to the hearing of the committee on various tax measures.
He said their group was not only complaining about the withholding tax that would be imposed on their fringe benefits but is also seeking a salary increase for minimum wage earners.
Millamena said that from the present P9,000, the minimum wage of government employees should be raised to P15,000 a month.
“Instead of taxing our benefits, they should raise the salaries of government employees,” Millamena said in an interview with reporters.
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