A common misconception about May 1, or more known as Labor
Day, is that, it is a celebration of being employed. Quite frankly, Labor Day
does not focus about the job or the employment. It is about the laborer, or the employee, the one who has the job.
Labor Day, is a day to acknowledge the state if the people
of work, a time to address their concerns on various issues. A few are, a need
for a stable job, a sustainable livelihood, and an assurance of rights.
A need for a stable job
With poverty running rampant, crippling our nation,
employment is a vital aspect to be taken care of, in order to keep alive. But,
a problem our workers face is the threat of a lay-off.
Jobs hardly come by, and when they do, it is even harder to
keep.
Especially with the Philippine mid-term elections on May 13,
coming up, people are quickly being recruited to join the campaign trail. But
as soon as May 13 ends, they’ll lose their jobs.
Though elections do help to give occupations to the masses,
what people need are ‘jobs’ they can actually keep.
Jobs, permanent jobs, to be exact, do not simply come out of
thin air. To produce jobs we need entrepreneurs, people who venture in the
world of business, in need of manpower.
Our government need to create a economic climate that
encourages business to spring up. In April 2012, the Philippines had a total of
1,249,000 employers, barely 2% of the labor force. We need more entrepreneurs
to produce employment.
Right now, the supply of work does not meet the demand for
it. No wonder why 4600 Filipinos travel abroad everyday in search of greener
pastures. This amounts 1,664,118 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), don’t forget
to factor in the 4,345,000 unemployed people in our country. It is no surprise
why we suffer from a braindrain, because a considerable portion of our labor
force are either working abroad, or unemployed.
A need for sustainable livelihood
After you have a job, and finally you get your paycheck you
are disappointed at a realization—the money is not enough to sustain you. Even
if you try to make ends meet, you end up starving.
Here in the Philippines, the standard cost of living in the
capital for an average family of six, is Php 1022 ($30), and the daily minimum
wage is Php 446 ($10). Quite obviously, the wage does not suffice the needs of
the family, leaving a 44% wage gap. Even if two people work for a family, it is
still not enough.
Now, take into consideration that 12,563,000 people, a
quarter of the labor force, are laborers, who receive ‘minimum wage.’ Amazing
right? It is a miracle how they can still manage to feed their children.
Even more heartbreaking is that farmers, fishermen, and
lumberjacks, all who work under agriculture, a total of 5,563,000 the second
largest occupational group, receives wages less
than the minimum.
And what it makes it even harder, is the fact that the
prices of commodities go up so fast.
A solution to the wage problem lies in a dynamic economy,
again, encouraging entrepreneurs to hire people and boost productivity, that
leads to even bigger sales and ultimately, bigger paychecks.
A need for an assurance of workers’ rights
It is disappointing how many people complain about job
issues, especially in the workplace.
The wages are bad enough, but to the point, that after a
hard day’s work, you end up with no money?
Even if your employer promises to
give it to you the following day, this is a clear violation of your rights.
There was even one case brought to T3, a television program
on TV5, just today, about a teacher from Samar National High School who is
complaining about unpaid dues. This teacher has accumulated a large amount of
unpaid money from the school after going overtime all through his career. The
school promised to pay for it after he retires. And when he did retire the
school replied that “there is no funds.” Imagine waiting for years for money
that would never end up being paid.
This is another clear violation of a worker. He has the right to receive his wage after he
completed the prescribed hours of work, and get overtime if they go over the 8
hour minimum.
Workers also need to be assured that the benefits they were
promised to will be given. I’ve heard people who do not receive leaves. Some jobs that have
occupational hazards do not even have insurance for their workers!
On this Labor Day
It is important that the government along with the private
sector to participate in uplifting the state of our workers. We need to hear
out the workers. After all, the labor force is a vital ingredient in an economy
that is quickly picking up speed, like the Philippines.
Now is the time to take action.
More jobs, bigger paychecks, and workers’ rights.
We need these, today, on this Labor Day.
Happy Labor Day, Philippines! LONG LIVE THE PHILIPPINES.
*all sources from IBON Foundation, National Statistics
Office Labor Force Survey, National Wages and Productivity Commission and
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (Central Bank of the Philippines.)
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