Health sector workers group press for hike in entry-level wage of nurses

A group of hospital and health care workers in the country has called on the Duterte administration to increase to P30,000 the entry-level salary of nurses in the country.

During the giant labor day protest along Welcome Rotunda on Tuesday, Alliance of Filipino Workers (AFW) President Willy Pulia demanded that nurses’ minimum wage should be increased just like those of the police and military personnel.

“Dapat i-angat ang sweldo ng ating mga nurses sapagkat kawawa sila, sila ay mga propesyunal pero ang pasweldo sa kanila ay minimum lamang. Dapat iangat na tulad sa mga militar, pulis at kawal ng ating bansa,” Pulia told INQUIRER.net.

“Dapat iakyat sa P30,000 ang buwanang sahod ng mga nurses para ‘di sila pumunta sa BPO (business process outsourcing) at ibang bansa,” he added.

The group also supported the call of other labor groups to end “endo,” or the “end of contract” hiring practice, where companies let go of workers before they complete six months of service.

“Katangi-tangi po ang selebrasyon ng Labor Day ngayon at ang lahat ng grupo ng mga organisasyon ng unyon dito sa bansa ay nagsama-sama, nagkaroon ng labor unity dahil hindi natupad ni Pangulong Duterte ang kanyang pangako na wakasan ang kontraktwalisasyon,” he said.

Meanwhile, Edwin Bustillos, labor sectoral representative at the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC), said President Rodrigo Duterte should sign the executive order (EO) which various labor groups drafted instead of the EO made by the Department of Industry (DTI), Department of Labor (DOLE) and employer groups.

“Dalawang EO ang nakalatag, ‘yung EO na dinala ng Nagkaisa, KMU (Kilusang Mayo Uno) at NAPC labor, at saka yung executive order ng DTI, DOLE at employers,” he explained.

“Kung ang pipirmahan nya ay yung sa employers, hindi acceptable ‘yan sa kilusang paggawa at lalo lang nyang palalalain ang kontraktwalisyasyon. Ang suspetya namin ‘yun yung DTI-DOLE version, dahil kung ang pipirmahan nya yung amin, pinirmahan nya na sana yungnung April 16, at hinarap nya kami,” he added.    /muf