A labor group yesterday called on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to certify as urgent the bill on legislated wage increase once it is refiled in the incoming 20th Congress
In a statement, Josua Mata, of the Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (SENTRO), said the plan to refile the legislated wage hike in the next Congress is a most welcome development, but Marcos should show sincerity to certify its passage as urgent.
He said that filing the bill anew is the “easy part” but the “real battle” is to cut through the lies, delays, and betrayal by lawmakers in both houses of Congress.
He said the “hardest fight” in passing the bill is Marcos allegedly siding with big businesses rather than hearing the pleas of the working class.
He said Malacanang’s spin doctors have been scrambling to rewrite history by claiming that the President is not against the legislated wage hike.
“Fine. Then prove it. Here’s our challenge to the President: Take the sincerity test — declare now that you will certify the wage hike bill as urgent in the 20th Congress,” Mata said.
Congress failed to come up with a common version of the wage hike bill, with the House of Representatives standing firm on its version of a daily P200 wage increase, while the Senate’s version was for a P100 daily wage hike.
The houses pointed at each other for not agreeing on one another’s version of the proposed measure.
The Senate passed its version of the bill in February 2024, while the House passed theirs on the last few days before Congress adjourned sine die on June 13.
