Groups renewing calls for wage hike, tax exemptions in Labor Day rally

MANILA, Philippines – The National Wage Coalition, composed of the country’s major labor groups, will hold a protest on Labor Day, May 1, to renew calls for a P200 daily minimum wage hike, the expansion of income tax exemptions, and the arrest of corrupt government officials.

In a press conference on Tuesday, Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) legislative officer Carlos Miguel Oñate announced that labor groups will hold a rally at Mendiola, Manila, to protest against the “inaction” of the government when it comes to the needs of workers.

He noted that the House committee on labor and employment, as well as the Senate committee on labor, employment, and human resources development, has yet to tackle the proposed P200 daily minimum wage increase, which was filed by the TUCP party list in June last year.

READ: Labor groups press P200 wage hike

Oñate also called for the passage of House Bill No. 8860 or the Patas na Ambag sa Tax para sa Angat-Sahod or Patas bill, which seeks to expand income tax exemptions to include employees earning a monthly income of P50,000 and below.

The proposed measure also aims to introduce a “solidarity wealth tax” on Filipino billionaires and windfall profits tax on corporations with large profits, particularly those in the oil and electricity industries.

“This is not just the fight of our 5 million minimum wage earners because our wider middle class is also suffering. Our middle-income earners are being squeezed dry by taxes and other deductions while, usually, government assistance is lacking or given late,” he said.

The labor groups will also be calling for the arrest of government officials involved in corruption, which is linked to the ongoing energy crisis being experienced by the country that has resulted in soaring fuel prices.

READ: KMU to lead nationwide Labor Day protests vs war, wage issues

“Addressing corruption is part of and cannot be separated from the package of solutions to the current crisis,” said Luke Espiritu, spokesperson for Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino, noting that one of the reasons for the high fuel costs are the taxes being imposed by the government.

Espiritu questioned why the government continues to collect “regressive” taxes, such as the value-added tax and excise tax, when it has yet to recover the trillions of pesos lost to corruption, particularly in flood control works.

Moreover, the coalition urged President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to hold a dialogue with workers and labor groups to discuss the impacts of the Middle East crisis, which will help inform the policies and programs implemented by the government.

“Ever since he became the President of the Philippines, talks with workers have been missing or lacking,” said Sonny Matula, president of Federation of Free Workers and chair of Nagkaisa Labor coalition.