Labor group backs P64,000 monthly pay for government nurses

MANILA, Philippines — Labor group Federation of Free Workers (FFW) yesterday gave its full backing to the proposal to grant P64,000 starting monthly salary for government nurses.

FFW called on Congress to immediately pass the proposed measure that would upgrade the salary of public nurses six notches higher based on the Salary Standardization Law.

“We applaud this initiative from the House of Representatives and the Senate. The proposed wage increase not only benefits our public health workers but is also a step forward in acknowledging the tremendous value they bring to our society,” FFW official Manuel Payao said.

Payao expressed hope that a similar measure pending before the Senate would be passed swiftly.

As this developed, FFW pressed for the lifting of the current deployment cap for nurses and health workers abroad. FFW said the deployment cap of 7,500 annually is unconstitutional and oppressive to labor and thus requires review by the Marcos administration.

Meanwhile, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) has called on the Senate to prioritize pending bills that aim to also increase the salary of all government employees including public school teachers.

In a statement yesterday, the ACT said that the Senate committee on civil service, government reorganization and professional regulation chaired by Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr. must also work on a measure to increase the salaries of government workers, after the same committee approved “in principle” a wage hike bill for private workers. — Elizabeth Marcelo