MANILA, Philippines – Binatikos ng mga labor group si Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma dahil sa pagtutol umano nito sa legislated wage hike bills.
Sa pahayag nitong Biyernes, Mayo 10, nagpahayag ng “profound dissatisfaction” ang Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (Sentro) sa posisyon ni Laguesma at inilarawan ang patuloy na pagtutol ng DOLE sa wage hike bills bilang “betrayal.”
“Laguesma’s position does not reflect the principle of tripartism and social dialogue. Rather, his consistent echoing of employers’ unfounded positions has him sounding more as a spokesperson of [employers] rather than an impartial labor secretary,” pahayag ni Sentro secretary general Josua Mata.
Nanawagan si Sentro kay Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. na tugunan ang pangangailangan ng mga manggagawa sa pagtugon sa systemic roots ng kahirapan at chronic poverty wages.
Sinabi ng grupo na ito ay, “an undeniable fact that wages today are not sufficient to live decently so it is incumbent upon the government to adopt a position addressing workers’ concerns.”
“If the current [labor] secretary is an impediment to such a direction, then Laguesma should step aside to let this government pursue its mandate. The workers of the Philippines are languishing. We need a government, and a department of labor that seriously protects and advances the interests of working people. Mr. Laguesma, if you cannot protect our workers, then you do not deserve to be Dole secretary,” ani Mata.
Sinalo naman ni Laguesma ang mga kritisismo at ipinuntong ang mga employer at manggagawa ay kapwa constituents ng DOLE kaya nararapat lamang na balansehin ito ng ahensya.
“They may say that we’re siding with one sector but the name of our department [has the words] ‘labor and employment.’ We have to take care of labor but we have to take care also of employment because at the end of the day, as the two sectors themselves admit, if there are no workers there is no capital [and] if there is no capital, there are no workers,” pahayag ni Laguesma sa media forum nitong Miyerkules.
Aniya, dapat makatanggap ng reasonable retursn ang mga employer sa kanilang investments at pondo para sa expansion, katulad ng pangangailangan ng mga manggagawa na magkaroon ng dagdag sa sahod para makasabay sa inflation.
Sinabi ng Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) nitong Huwebes na “it has had enough” sa sinasabi ni Laguesma, sabay-sabing “[his] capability to competently do his job to protect workers and promote gainful employment is squarely in serious question and that he was acting more like the spokesperson of employers.”
Anang TUCP, ang babala ni Laguesma na ang pagdaragdag sa sahod ng mga empleyado ay magdudulot ng matinding inflation, unemployment at business closures ay “all false and mere speculations already demolished by the academe, think tanks, and economists.”
Sinabi naman ng Federation of Free Workers (FFW) na salungat sa posisyon ni Laguesma, “a reasonable and just wage increase is not only necessary but also beneficial for workers and the economy.”
“FFW believes that a reasonable and just wage increase is not only necessary but also beneficial for workers and the economy. It can improve the quality of life for workers, reduce inequality, and stimulate consumer spending, which in turn can drive economic growth,” ayon sa presidente ng grupo na si Atty. Sonny Matula. RNT/JGC
