[Letter to the Editor] Reaction to DTI’s opposition to two labor legislation – CTUHR

Does the Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) opposition to pro-labor legislations reflect the Aquino administration’s policy on labor rights? This question immediately came to mind after the DTI expressed its unabashed opposition to two labor rights legislations (August 8, 2011 news) pending in the House of Representatives particularly the P125 wage hike and the…

Human Rights Online Philippines

September 2, 2011

3–4 minutes

Corazon Aquino, CTUHR, Department of Labor and Employment (Philippines), Department of Trade and Industry (United Kingdom), Human Right, Labor rights, Malacañang Palace, Press Release, Trade union

Does the Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) opposition to pro-labor legislations reflect the Aquino administration’s policy on labor rights?

This question immediately came to mind after the DTI expressed its unabashed opposition to two labor rights legislations (August 8, 2011 news) pending in the House of Representatives particularly the P125 wage hike and the security of tenure bills. Such measures, according to DTI Sec. Domingo, will discourage investors from investing in the country.

If Sec. Domingo is someone from the employers’ group, I would not waste a minute to complain against such naked anti-workers rights’ pronouncement, simply because employers had been opposing the P125 wage hike bill for 10 years now. Employers’ position is not surprising at all, though hardly understandable. But Sec. Domingo is in the government that promised to uplift the poor from poverty and there was simply no trace of such commitment in his stance.

Needless to say, the twin bills when approved can fulfill two things: When passed, first, it will be an important legacy of the Aquino administration particularly to 38 M estimated labour force and could possibly regain support from this huge part of population. Second, it can stem the impact of series of oil price hikes even if the P125 wage hike will still be insufficient to bridge the gap between the P988 daily cost of living and the measly P426 minimum wage. The increased flexibilization of production and contractualization of labor that the security of tenure bill wants to stop, will somehow return to the Filipino workers their right to secure jobs and dignity, instead of just bloating the profits for investors.

The way this government is going, it is becoming clear that it is not heading the direction where workers and the poor will be happy. Despite staunch criticisms from labor groups for example, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Malacañang remained mum on DTI’s pronouncement while the latter upheld the outsourcing of PAL ground operations, that will dismiss 2600 regular employees by end September.

What is more alarming, is the allies of Aquino administration’s calculated move in the House of Representatives to change the economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution to relax provisions that currently limit foreign investments and land ownership in the country, in the name of ‘economic growth.’

This bias towards foreign investments—not only of the DTI, but the entire Aquino administration—bodes ill for the rights and interests of the working class. It has long been proven in our country’s decades of experience of implementation of neoliberal economic policies that export-oriented growth for instance failed miserably to radically cut the country’s poverty and perennial unemployment. When will the Government learn from the lessons of the past that so called economic growth anchored on depressing workers’ wages and security of tenure is a meaningless growth? Malacañang could very well start now by supporting these labour rights bills pending at the lower house.

Daisy Arago
Executive Director
Center for Trade Union and Human Rights