Thousands of government employees, public school teachers and health workers nationwide welcomed the opening of the Regular Session of the 14th Congress with a protest, demanding the P3,000 increment on the minimum salary.

Members of the militant center for government employees, Confederation for Unity, Recognition and Advancement of Government (COURAGE), Alliance of Health Workers (AHW), Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT), All UP Workers’ Union, and the Congress of Teachers/Educators for Nationalism and Democracy (CONTEND) and other independent unions flooded the streets of Batasan, notwithstanding the scorching heat of the afternoon sun, determined to push for their demand for just increment on their salaries. There were also simultaneous actions held at Bacolod City, Iloilo City, Davao City and Baguio City.

“We are not asking that much. Although the P3,000 increase for the minimum pay is relatively small and won’t completely solve our financial problems, it will give us temporary relief now that prices of basic commodities and services are record high,” Ferdinand R. Gaite, COURAGE national president, said.

Criticizing the proposed Salary Standardization Law 3 (SSL 3) by Budget Sec. Rolando M. Andaya Jr., and was sponsored last September by House Speaker Prospero Nograles Jr. through his Joint Resolution No. 24 (JR 24), Ms. Emma Manuel, president of the AHW, said that SSL 3 will not only widen the gap between the high and low salaried but will also weaken or completely abolish some laws concerning the benefits of public health workers.

Referring to the Magna Carta for Public Health Workers and Nursing Act of 2002, she said that JR 24 explicitly abolishes the said laws which are not yet fully implemented by the government.

“All the painstaking efforts made by the workers and health professionals themselves, just to have these legislations be passed into law, will all be in vain because of this SSL 3,” Manuel explained.

Aside from the repeal of the Magna Carta for Public Health Workers and Nursing Act of 2002, Manuel said, that SSL 3 will also weaken the unions in the public sector.

“Since the SSL 3 had already strictly specified the benefits that a government employee must get, it denies the unions and associations the right to negotiate for a better one,” she furthered.

On the other hand, Prof. Antonio Tinio, chairperson of ACT stated that the government will not spend much if the P3,000 increment in the minimum pay will be given now.

“They’ll just re-channel the proposed bigger increases for the officials  to benefit the low salried employees”, he said.

Balloons, with a streamer hanging on its thread bearing the call for the P3,000 increase on the minimum salary, was flown into the air—a symbol of the state workers’ high hopes and strong spirit—that their legitimate demand will be granted. (Press Release/November 10, 2008)