Senate bets urged:Declare stand on wage, contractualization

MANILA, Philippines — With less than a month before the midterm elections, a militant labor group yesterday dared senatorial candidates to declare their stand on wage and contractualization issues.

Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) chair Elmer Labog said the candidates’ position on wage increase and pressing labor issues like contractualization will determine how the labor sector will vote in the coming polls.

“Senatoriables should take a stand in favor of increasing minimum wages to P750 nationwide,” he said in a statement.

Labog said mandated minimum wages in the country remain insufficient to cope with the high prices of basic goods and services brought about by the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion or TRAIN Law.

He said the estimated Family Living Wage remains pegged at P1,001, a far cry from the P537 minimum wage in the National Capital Region while wages outside the NCR do not even come close to half of the FLW.

Labog said workers will take to the streets on May 1 to protest the government’s broken promise to end contractualization, the TRAIN Law and gross attacks on labor and human rights.