Workers, unions, and federations under the Unity for Wage Increase Now (UWIN) trooped to the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) office in Manila on July 18 to protest against the insulting ₱50 wage increase in the National Capital Region. That day marked the start of the region’s implementation of the paltry wage increase approved by the Regional Wage Board (RWB).
“The ₱50 increase is not only grossly insufficient—it is a deliberate rejection of workers’ basic right to survive with dignity,” UWIN spokesperson Charlie Arevalo said in English. He added that this clearly shows that the Marcos regime favors wealthy businessmen and bureaucrats over the welfare of the millions of impoverished workers.
UWIN emphasized that after the Marcos regime and bureaucrat capitalists killed the proposed ₱200 wage increase in Congress, they once again used the RWB to impose a small increase and keep wages suppressed. The state accomplishes this through Republic Act 6727 or the Wage Rationalization Act.
Arevalo further explained, “The state is depriving the people of their purchasing power to meet basic needs, thus slowing down economic activity.” The group once again called for a ₱1,200 living wage nationwide.
Based on research by Ibon Foundation, providing a ₱1,200 living wage would only require 36.4% of the income of large enterprises, 29.7% for medium-sized enterprises, 42.2% for small enterprises, and 48.1% for micro enterprises. This disproves the myth that companies would incur losses if a significant wage increase were implemented.
Alongside UWIN’s call for a significant wage increase, they also demanded the rollback of prices of basic goods and public services.
