THE labor sector is asking President Marcos to include in his second State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 24 the legislated wage hike for all workers.
In separate interviews, the Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (SENTRO) and the Nagkaisa Labor Coalition (NAGKAISA) urged Marcos to help convince lawmakers to approve the passage of a legislated wage hike.
“The P150 across-the-board wage increase now pending in the Senate and the House of Representatives is an important measure to correct the long neglect of workers’ welfare. We’d like Mr. Marcos Jr. to mention it as (an) urgent measure in his SONA,” said SENTRO Secretary General Josua Mata.
“Urgent measures must be mentioned in the coming SONA. We will welcome it if the issue of legislated wage hike will be among those mentioned so that Congress will immediately act on it,” said NAGKAISA Chairperson Sonny Matula.
Earlier, the country’s labor sector said they are now focusing on Congress as the new battleground for their fight for a “living wage.”
“If workers’ wage hike is not mentioned in his SONA, it implies that it doesn’t resonate with him, suggesting that wage issue is not a priority in his legislative agenda,” said Matula.
“It would show that, like his father, Mr. Marcos Jr. doesn’t care about workers’ rights and welfare,” said Mata.
