TUCP

Honored to be part of the crowd. TUCP Party List Representative and House Deputy Speaker Raymond Mendoza attended the State of the Nation Address of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Romualdez Marcos Jr. on July 22, 2024, at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City to discuss the present economic, political, and social condition of our country. He's accompanied by Steve Cotton ITF General Secretary, Veterans Bank Chairman Roberto F. de Ocampo,
Veterans Bank President Renato Claraval, BTVWWII Chair De Los Santos, BARMM - MP Romeo Sema, and other notable Government officials.





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ALU-APSU-ITF BUILDING INAUGURATION CEREMONY!

TUCP President and House Deputy Speaker Raymond Democrito Cañete Mendoza joined by Rep. Ma. Alana Samantha Taliño Santos, Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez, Rep. Jude Acidre, Rep. Duke Frasco, APSU-ALU National President Michael Mendoza, ITF General Secretary Stephen Cotton, JSU Representative Mr. Masahiro Kondo, IMMAJ Chairman Toshihito Inoue, DMW Secretary Hans Cacdac, and other officials gathered yesterday, July 23rd, 2024, to inaugurate the new ALU-APSU-ITF Building. This collaborative effort by the Associated Labor Unions (ALU), the Associated Philippine Seafarers Union (APSU), and the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) will serve as a central hub for their organizations.

The building provides office space for all three organizations and aims to become a home for Filipino seafarers and workers. Meeting rooms, training facilities, and a medical clinic are just a few of the features designed to support members' needs. This inauguration marks a significant investment in the Filipino labor sector, demonstrating ALU, APSU, and ITF's dedication to their members' well-being.

Discussing key issues and charting the future. TUCP, general council meeting of several Federation leaders, was held on July 19, 2024. Present during the meeting were TUCP President and House Deputy Speaker Raymond Democrito Cañete Mendoza, ALU National President Michael Mendoza, General Secretary of TUCP Bro. Arnel Z. Dolendo, Bro. Arvin Dolendo (PTGWO), Bro. Arturo Basea (FUR), Sis. Esperanza Ocampo (PGEA), Sis. Susanita Tesiorno (ALLWIES), Meric Suva (ALU-METAL), Bro. Luis Corral (ALU TEXTILE), Bro. Gerard Seno (APSOTEU), Bro. Alvin Fidelson (KKP), Bro. Temistocles Dejon Jr. (AWATU), and Bro. Generick Humprey Morales (APSU).

TUCP URGES: “SA IKATLONG SONA NG PANGULO, BIGYANG HALAGA NAMAN SANA ANG MANGGAGAWANG PILIPINO!”

The The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) calls on President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr., on his 3rd State of the Nation Address (SONA), to place workers front-and-center in shaping our collective vision of a “Bagong Pilipinas.”

"Ang mga manggagawa naman sana ay bigyang halaga sa pangatlo niyang SONA," the TUCP urges, explaining the prevalence of precarious work such as short-term, low-end gig, and ENDO jobs with poverty-level minimum wages under which a family of five could not even afford three nutritious meals a day. "This vicious cycle makes workers 'disposable' and where they are routinely subjected to harassment and political profiling which is unfortunately the current state of Filipino workers," the TUCP stated.

The TUCP, the country’s largest labor center, reiterates the need for a long-overdue dialogue between the Philippine labor movement and the President to tackle the true state of Filipino workers and their families without filter or embellishments.

The TUCP feels that the Marcos Administration can do so much more by certifying urgent long-pending priority labor reforms to raise wages, uphold workers’ freedom of association, and create new, permanent, and decent jobs.

“We welcome the target to create three million jobs under the Trabaho Para Sa Bayan law, but these jobs should alleviate poverty in an environment that recognizes and respects the human dignity of every Filipino worker. This means improvements in the quality of life of every Filipino worker and their respective families. This means decent and permanent jobs where workers are paid a living wage and freely exercise labor rights without fear, especially their right to freedom to organize and join a union, and not just the insult of mere lip service to workers in addition to the injury of wage orders keeping wages low,” the TUCP explained.

Soaring food and electricity prices incessantly erode the purchasing power of workers’ wages especially as the ₱35.00 wage increase from the NCR regional wage board cannot even buy the workers and their families a kilo of quality rice.

The TUCP urges the President to certify as urgent the bill granting an across-the-board wage increase of ₱150.00 nationwide maintaining that the NCR ₱35-wage increase is insultingly paltry, which is not even enough to afford a decent meal, solve the crisis of malnutrition, and child stunting, fatally threatening Filipino children to be either too short for their age and mentally stunted or worst, being the reason why they cannot even reach their fifth birthday.

“Only the Congress holds the key to raise workers’ wages at levels that can afford three nutritious meals daily for their families and ensure their decent lives in the spirit of simple fairness and social justice. A substantial wage hike today is an investment for a bright tomorrow with a healthy and competitive future workforce,” underscored the TUCP. The TUCP also called on House Speaker Martin Romualdez to prioritize the immediate passage of the most urgent law demanded and deserved by every Filipino worker— House Bill No. 7871, known as the Wage Recovery Act, filed by the TUCP that seeks to give a daily across-the-board ₱150 wage hike nationwide.

The TUCP also reminds the Marcos Administration that trade and investments into the country are conditioned on the observance of labor rights and are not just all about providing an enabling business environment through ease of doing business. "Ang mga manggagawa naman ay bigyan kahalagahan! Bagong Pilipinas should be anchored on the rule of law, where our dark long history of anti-union violence, political profiling, and impunity aimed at workers and unions in the country definitely has no place,” the TUCP stated.

“We cannot have a ‘Bagong Pilipinas’ while the country continues to be among the ten worst countries for workers for nearly a decade. We trust that under President Marcos’ modern and modernizing leadership, we can correct our troubling track record in workers’ rights and promote a race-to-the-top labor relations through sincere and genuine social partnership with the workers," the TUCP emphasized.

In addition to the legislated wage hike, the TUCP calls on the President to certify urgent the following long-pending priority labor legislation to align labor laws and practices with ratified International Labour Organization (ILO) Conventions. "Surely, the country would not want to perennially be in the shortlist for persistent violation of international labor standards for two straight years since 2023". The TUCP therefore calls for passage of the following:

(a) HOUSE BILL NO. 1512: SECURITY OF TENURE (SOT) ACT to end the pandemic of ENDO contractualization in the country and to restore security of tenure as the norm in labor relations.

(b) HOUSE BILL NO. 1518: UNION FORMATION ACT to strengthen the rights of workers to self-organization by lowering the requirements for union registration.

(c) HOUSE BILL NO. 5536: ASSUMPTION OF JURISDICTION ACT to limit the power of the DOLE Secretary to assume jurisdiction over labor disputes from the overly-broad “industries indispensable to national interest” to only those “industries providing essential services.”

(d) HOUSE BILL NO. 7043: WORKERS’ RIGHT TO STRIKE ACT to remove dismissal and imprisonment as a penalty for illegal strikes and lockouts.

Prioritizing these labor reforms promotes an enabling environment. But we not only need to put Filipinos back to work but create new opportunities, especially to our millions of fresh graduates every year. To this end TUCP asks the President to also prioritize the TUCP Jobs Agenda:

(a) NATIONAL RAILWAY SYSTEM CONNECTING REGIONAL AND PROVINCIAL AGRI-INDUSTRIAL HUBS. This will create new jobs, ensure food security, decongest urban metropolitan areas, and democratize wealth creation by promoting rural development and job generation. It will ultimately lower the cost of doing business throughout the countryside, incentivizing the entry of foreign investments;

(b) JUST TRANSITION PROGRAM, with tripartite partners in Government, labor, and business, to ensure human-centered and worker-friendly solutions, such as via massive reskilling and upskilling, to seize millions of new, permanent, and decent employment opportunities in green jobs, such as renewable energy and environmental compliance, and digital jobs, such as e-commerce and big data.

“With all our social partners, let us work together as one nation in upholding labor rights, building infrastructure, and prioritizing human capital development to generate more and better jobs today and tomorrow—tungo sa Bagong Pilipinas para sa Manggagawa, Mamumumuhunan, at Mamamayang Pilipino!” the TUCP emphasized.

Makilahok sa ating kampaniya para sa pagsasabatas ng P150 pataas na dagdag-sahod! Kailangan ng inyong tulong sa pagpapalago ng dami ng "likes" at pag-share ng page, para makarating sa mas nakararami. Tayo ay sama-samang kumilos para makamit ang sahod na nararapat sa mga Pilipinong manggagawa!

Maraming salamat po!

Dagdag Sahod Isabatas, 150 Pataas Wage Campaign This page, made by the National Wage Coalition, is dedicated to advance our calls for livable wages.

Nakiisa ang Associated Labor Unions (ALU) Luzon sa panawagan ng National Wage Coalition para sa 150 Pataas na Legislated Wage increase "Dagdag Sahod Isabatas, 150 Pataas Wage Campaign".
Maraming salamat sa inyong pakikibahagi, dedikasyon at suporta sa pagsulong ng ating panawagan!



#↑SahodMoSagotKo

Isa na namang matagumpay na kabanata! Sa pangunguna ni TUCP President and House Deputy Speaker Democrito Cañete Mendoza, ikinagagalak ng buong TUCP na ipahayag ang nalalapit na turnover ng maramihang proyekto sa Brgy. AO Floirendo, Panabo, at Brgy. Tibal-og Sto. Tomas, Davao del Norte na magaganap sa araw ng Huwebes, July, 18, 2024. Isang malaking pasasalamat sa lahat ng nakibahagi! Ang inyong sipag at dedikasyon ang nagpatupad nito.

ANG ATING MANGGAGAWA ANG PUNDASYON NG ATING EKONOMIYA!
Nararapat lamang na bigyan sila ng SAPAT at NAKA-BUBUHAY na SAHOD.

The National Wage Coalition (NWC) comprised of BMP, KMU, NAGKAISA, and TUCP, held a press conference today as part of its wage increase campaign leading up to the State of the Nation Address (SONA).

The Coalition shall urge the House of Representatives to certify the proposed legislated bills for across-the-board wage increases to strive for higher livable minimum wages for all.

TUCP: FILIPINOS DESERVE A FAIR WAGE INCREASE TO MEET RISING COSTS

The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) is calling for a more substantial wage increase to address the high cost of living. Recent adjustments haven't kept pace with inflation, leaving Filipino workers struggling to afford basic necessities.

We urge wage boards to consider all factors, especially the need for a living wage. The current system isn't delivering, and Filipino workers deserve better. Let's work together to ensure a fairer wage that reflects the true cost of living in the Philippines.

Labor group calls for 'fairer' wage hike TRADE Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), the country's biggest labor group, said Filipinos need a fairer wage adjustment, considering the present high cost of living resulting from inflation.

TUCP President and House Deputy Speaker Raymond Democrito Cañete Mendoza attended the NYK-FIL Shipping Management 35th Anniversary Celebration on July 5. Also present during the event were Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Hans Cacdac, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma, Congressman Jude Acidre Tingog Paty List, Associated Labor Unions (ALU) National Executive Vice President Gerard Seno, NYK (Nippon Yusen Kaisha) Line officials, and several esteemed Japanese partners.

Established in 1989, NYK-FIL Ship Management Inc. is a company that has carved a respectable niche in the maritime industry for its accomplishments in deploying quality seafarers, which were duly recognized as evidenced by the numerous awards it has received from the Philippine Government over the years.

Makilahok sa ating kampaniya para sa pagsasabatas ng P150 pataas na dagdag-sahod! Kailangan ng inyong tulong sa pagpapalago ng dami ng "likes" at pag-share ng page, para makarating sa mas nakararami. Maraming salamat po!

Dagdag Sahod Isabatas, 150 Pataas Wage Campaign This page, made by the National Wage Coalition, is dedicated to advance our calls for livable wages.

Sa dalawang matibay nating haligi, TUCP President and House Deputy Speaker, Raymond Democrito Cañete Mendoza at Associated Labor Union (ALU) National President, Michael Democrito Mendoza, isang MALIGAYANG KAARAWAN!

Taos-puso ang aming pasasalamat sa inyong patnubay, aral, at walang humpay na pakikibaka para sa kapakanan ng mga manggagawang Pilipino. Mabuhay kayo!

Magreact at i-comment sa ibaba ang iyong pananaw ukol sa P35 minimum wage increase na ibinigay ng NCR regional wage board.

Ito bay umento o insulto para sa'yo bilang manggagawa?

The measly P35 minimum wage increase won't solve Filipino worker struggles. We demand a P150 daily raise. We need a substantial increase, one that reflects the true cost of living. House Bill No. 7871, with its proposed P150 daily raise, is a step in the right direction and will give our workers the wage increase they deserve.

P35 daily wage increase in NCR ‘an insult to workers’ – groups MANILA, Philippines — The P35 daily wage increase for private sector workers in the National Capital Region (NCR) or Metro Manila earned criticisms from various labor groups pushing for higher

TUCP demands a ₱150 increase, not this measly amount. Filipino workers deserve a living wage, not poverty wages!

P35 wage hike approved; labor groups furious MANILA, Philippines — The government has approved a P35 increase in the daily minimum wage for workers in the National Capital Region (NCR), a decision widely criticized as an “insult” and a

NCR WAGE HIKE: A SLAP IN THE FACE TO FILIPINO WORKERS!

The recent wage increase in NCR is simply not enough. It's a measly amount that barely makes a dent in the struggles of Filipino workers. We at the TUCP are calling this a handout, a token gesture that does nothing to address the real problem: poverty wages.

We need a substantial increase, one that reflects the true cost of living. House Bill No. 7871, with its proposed P150 daily raise, is a step in the right direction. This will ensure our workers can afford nutritious meals for their families and invest in their children's education and health.

For too long, DOLE and the regional wage boards have prioritized profit over people. They've failed to keep up with inflation, leaving Filipino families struggling to survive. This is unacceptable!
We urge Congress to take action. Pass House Bill No. 7871 and give our workers the wage increase they deserve.

ISABATAS TAMANG SAHOD SA BAGONG PILIPINAS! NO TO POVERTY WAGE!

A courtesy visit was made to the Deputy Speaker's Office by a delegation from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), led by Mr. Benhalil Karon. Mr. Dane Aquino from Protocol and Special Affairs Service personally welcomed them for a tour at the House of Representatives. TUCP is happy to have you all here for a visit!

TUCP: TULOY ANG LABAN SA PAGSABATAS NG ₱150 DAILY ACROSS THE BOARD WAGE HIKE; THE P35.00 REGIONAL WAGE INCREASE IS JUST A FEW CRUMBS TOSSED TO HUMILIATE THE WORKERS

The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) assails the NCR wage increase as just a few crumbs tossed from their master's table of overflowing abundance and a humiliation to the struggling Filipino workers, as the labor group vows to push for the passage of House Bill No. 7871, also known as the Wage Recovery Act, which seeks to give a daily across-the-board ₱150.00 wage hike for all workers in the private sector.

"The NCR regional wage board proved once again to be so myopic. They opted to protect business profits rather than the bigger societal purpose of the wage increase. As TUCP has repeatedly pointed out the need to elevate the daily wage above the poverty threshold to afford a family of five at least one nutritious meal a day is inextricably linked to addressing the growing problem of stunting Filipino children due to persistent poverty and inequality. According to UNICEF Philippines, every day, 95 children in the Philippines die from malnutrition, and twenty-seven out of 1,000 Filipino children do not get past their fifth birthday. A third of Filipino children are stunted or short for their age. Stunting after two years of age can be permanent, irreversible, and even fatal," stated TUCP Vice President Luis Corral.

House Bill No. 7871, also known as the Wage Recovery Act, is pending in the House Committee on Labor and Employment, while the Philippine Senate has already passed a ₱100.00 wage increase. However, the initiative for a legislated wage increase was torpedoed by DOLE during the Labor Day ceremony towards the regional wage boards, prompting several workers' groups to call for the resignation of DOLE Secretary Bienvenido E. Laguesma.

"Despite working hard for an honest living, workers are condemned to a life of deprivation and poverty, which means the promised middle-income Philippines by 2025 excludes the workers and a fatal error. According to the World Bank’s "Philippines Human Capital Review," if the country does not invest in human capital, the incoming labor force members will be unable to drive innovation and economic growth. The World Bank said the Philippines has a window of only 20 to 25 years to invest in human capital development, which for the TUCP should start with having a decent daily wage to afford nutritious meals for workers' children and pay for their education and health. The P35.00 increase in the daily minimum wage could barely raise the needed amount for the family’s daily expenses," underscored Corral.

"The workers are humiliated by the ₱35.00 increase! It is a slap on the face of every worker, even the resource persons, who underscored the imperative of raising workers' wages against the big lie that any increase is 'catastrophic.' The TUCP and the Filipino workers turn to Congress as we have had enough of DOLE's diversionary schemes. Filipino working families have had enough of being fiddled around in the past 35 years. Worst, the regional wage boards only belatedly and inadequately adjust wages for the four million minimum wage earners, leaving behind the tens of millions of workers who are mostly unorganized with no collective bargaining agreement (CBA) to raise their paychecks and benefits or even bargain for wage distortion," lamented Corral.

In 1989, Republic Act No. 6727, or the Wage Rationalization Act, created the regional wage boards. The real value of minimum wages across the region stagnated and failed to keep up with inflation, as the IBON Foundation disclosed that the purchasing power of minimum wage earners today is much lower than nearly a decade ago.

In 2024, the highest daily minimum wage in the country is ₱610.00 in the National Capital Region (NCR). However, the Ateneo Policy Center estimates the daily cost of the government-prescribed daily healthy food guide called 'Pinggang Pinoy' by the DOST Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI) for a family of five is ₱693.30 per day. Worse, in 2008, the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC), chaired by no less than the Labor Secretary, estimated the daily family living wage at ₱917.00.

"As DOLE and the regional wage boards continue to turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to the issue that is no longer whether there will be an increase but on how much and how soon, after more than three decades of stagnant starvation wages, we trust that the representatives of the people in Congress will heed the Filipino workers' plea and take over the task of raising workers' wages by immediately passing the long-overdue and much-deserved ₱150.00 legislated wage hike, to be certified urgent by the President, ISABATAS TAMANG SAHOD SA BAGONG PILIPINAS!NO TO POVERTY WAGE!," emphasized Corral.

At the recent NCR wage board hearing on June 20, 2024, employers dismissed our plea for a ₱150 daily wage increase and said any daily wage increase should be limited to a measly ₱16 to ₱24. They claim the economy can't handle a P150 increase, but data shows our wages haven't kept up with living costs. Companies are making record profits! It's time they shared their wealth with the FILIPINO WORKERS who make it all happen.
TUCP urges the NCR Wage Board to disregard empty threats from employers and fulfill its duty. Filipino workers deserve a livable wage, starting with a minimum increase of ₱150.

SAHOD ITAAS! ₱150 PATAAS!

Labor, employers group clash anew over pay hike LABOR and employers groups again clashed over the workers' demand for no less than a P150 wage increase, this time during the public hearing of the National Capital Region (NCR) wage board to decide the new minimum wage for its 1.1 million daily wage earners.

P16 is barely enough to cover a single jeepney ride and doesn't address the skyrocketing cost of living.

We urge the NCR regional wage board to take the lead. They must fulfill their duty of setting wages that guarantee a decent living for all Filipino families, starting with a minimum increase of P150.

P16 wage hike to cover only one-way jeepney fare, says labor group A labor group on Thursday decried the proposal of an employers' organization to grant a P16 wage increase, arguing that such an amount would only cover a one-wa

TUCP: ₱150 WAGE HIKE NOT POLITICS BUT A MATTER OF BASIC FAIRNESS AND SURVIVAL
EMPLOYERS REPLY TO WORKERS: DROP DEAD!

The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) lambasted employers' dismissive statements made during the NCR Regional Wage Board Public Hearing last June 20, that a legislated wage hike is just "politics'' even as they dismissed the survival concerns of their workers by insisting on a one-year wage freeze. At most, another employer representative said, any daily wage increase should be limited to a measly ₱16 to ₱24.

"Employers' cavalier and insulting dismissal of our ₱150 across-the-board wage increase demand smacks of classic corporate arrogance and insensitivity. They are effectively telling their workers, the ones who create the business owner's wealth and the nation's wealth to drop dead!," stated TUCP Vice President Luis Corral. "We remind employers that the ₱150 wage increase is reasonable because it is just a simple wage recovery measure backed up by data and proof," added Luis Corral.

"Before both the Wage Board and Congress, labor leaders and think tanks cited data on how rice and electricity inflation impacts worker lives, how our eroded purchasing power is resulting in a more hungry and deprived people, and how a 20-year labor productivity vastly outpacing wages has resulted in greater inequality. We have simulated current salaries falling far short of the estimated living wage," said Corral.

"Employers want a moratorium on wage increases because of the COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical volatility, and climate change. Workers remind employers and the Government that workers have sacrificed and that all must sacrifice and all must bear the burden, not just the workers. Workers cannot always be the whipping boys in a Philippine economy where many companies are raking in the profits," explained Corral.

"Congress knows that workers are at the brink. Basic decency requires more than the usual regional wage boards’ ‘barya-baryang’ minimum wage increase orders with no explanations whatsoever,” added Corral.

During the wage board hearing, the Philippine labor movement under the banner of the National Wage Coalition spearheaded by TUCP reiterated the united call for at least ₱150 wage hike. The employers' bankrupt broken record of falsely branding any legitimate wage demand as “catastrophic” was exposed by various economists and academics who attended the hearing as resource persons.

Dr. Mahar Mangahas of Social Weather Stations (SWS) raised a critical question: do employers deliberately aim to keep wages stagnant despite rising labor productivity and economic growth? IBON Foundation Executive Director Sonny Africa pointed out that such growth translates to significant profits for employers who should share what is only due to their workers. That is why Assistant Professor Benjamin Velasco of the University of the Philippines School of Labor and Industrial Relations (UP SOLAIR) blasted the employers’ propaganda that a substantial wage hike is “catastrophic” to prices and joblessness has no basis at all. Further, UP SOLAIR Professor Emeritus Rene Ofreneo emphasized that it is not only Filipino working families that demand and deserve a wage increase but also the country to transform our economy into one of high-end industries creating higher-paying jobs.

“These expert opinions should be heeded by the regional wage boards instead of the big lie and fear-mongering of employers that a wage increase will result in sky-rocketing prices and the fear-mongering of massive joblessness and business closures peddled by those who solely want to corner the profits in a legal form of plunder. Worst, the employers are even floating the idea of a wage freeze or a meager ₱16 increase. They have such disdain for Filipino workers and their families grappling with skyrocketing prices that they will offer a raise barely covering the minimum jeepney fare one way to work as if they will not go home anymore. This is plain and simple—shameless cruel greed!, ” emphasized Corral.

The TUCP presses the NCR regional wage board to lead the way by clearing this “baseless noise” towards ultimately performing its mandate in setting wages that will ensure the decent life of every Filipino working family, beginning with an increase of at least ₱150, nothing less.

IBON Foundation warns that Metro Manila's minimum wage is falling behind, failing to keep pace with both inflation and Filipino worker productivity.

In June 2016, the minimum wage in Metro Manila reached its peak buying power. Back then, the P491 wage was worth the equivalent of P538 in today's money (adjusted for inflation).
However, by May 2024, the P610 minimum wage only has the buying power of P501 (in today's money). This means it's lost 7% of its value compared to the peak in 2016.

A significant raise in minimum wage is crucial to address the gap between wage growth and worker productivity, according to IBON. Over the past two decades, worker output has surged by 62% (adjusted for inflation), while minimum wage increases have lagged far behind at only 9%. This means employers are profiting heavily from the increased productivity of their workforce without a fair share going to the workers.

Source: https://qa.philstar.com/business/2024/06/25/2365297/study-metro-manila-wages-not-keeping-inflation