SEN. Raffy Tulfo yesterday pressed the government to give government workers decent wages, lamenting that many of them are still being paid below industry standards.
Tulfo said the government should set an example by complying with labor standards and paying workers, including street sweepers and traffic aides in different cities and municipalities, minimum wage.
“If the government is serious in protecting workers’ rights and fighting against unjust labor practices, it must start by ensuring that people working for the government are earning a decent salary,” he added
Under Local Budget Circular (LBC) No. 143 (s. 2022), the salary of street sweepers and traffic aides are dependent on the income classification of Local Government Units (LGUs).
Street sweepers, as indicated in the LBC, can earn a maximum of P14,993 a month or as low as P8,648, which is equivalent to P376 a day. Traffic aides can earn a maximum of P17,899 a month or as low as P9,181.00 or P399 a day.
“It is important to lead by example. If the government cannot give the right salary to its employees, how can we expect private companies to comply with labor standards and properly compensate their employees?” he said.
Tulfo said it is important that the government complies with labor standards in whatever industry so that abuse of workers, especially in the private sector, can be stopped.
