Gov't workers push for P3T salary hike
Thousands of public sector employees participated in a protest rally in Bacolod yesterday afternoon to push for the P3,000 salary increase.
The protest rally was spearheaded by Negros All-Government Employees Unity (NAGEU) whose members includes the Alliance of Concerned Teachers-Negros (ACT-Negros), Alliance of Classroom Teachers of Bacolod (ACT-BA), Confederations for Unity, Recognition, and Advancement of Government Employees (COURAGE-Negros),CLMMRH Employees Union-Alliance of Health Workers (CLMMEU-AHW), and BACIWA Employees Union (BEU).
Public school teachers of elementary and high schools, employees unions affiliated with COURAGE and public sector employees converged at around 3:30 pm Rizal Park and marched towards the Plaza and held a rally at the Bacolod City Fountain of Justice.
NAGEU expresses opposition to the Salary Standardization Act III (SSL 3) which it considered as unfair, bias and deceitful.
ACTBA chairperson Richard Gelangre said the only sector that will gain much from the SSL 3 salary adjustment by the DBM are those already receiving high salaries allowances, discretionary funds and perks – the president, senators, congressmen, cabinet secretaries, head of agencies and local executives – but definitely not the ordinary public sector employees.
On the other hand, Danilo Alcoriza, chairperson of COURAGE-Negros said government workers deserve a substantive salary increase in the face of the rising cost of living.
"It is the responsibility of the state to provide a living wage for the worker, public and private. To deprive the workers of such is a grave social injustice," he added.
"No more excuses and callousness to our call for an immediate and legitimate demand for the P3,000 salary hike to the minimum pay of the government employees," Alcoriza stressed.
House Bill 4734, entitled "The Public School Teachers' Additional Compensation Act," authored by Gabriela Women's Party (GWP) Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan and co-filed by Liza Maza of GWP, Satur Ocampo and Teddy Casiño of Bayan Muna, and Rafael Mariano of Anakpawis is now pending in the House of Representatives.