(We yield this space to the statement of Kilusang Mayo Uno marking the World Day for Decent Work on Oct. 7, 2019 due to its timeliness. – Ed.)
WE AFFIRM the right of every citizen to enjoy and benefit from health and education services. As we mark World Day for Decent Work (Oct. 7), however, we also denounce how, in the Philippines, majority of Filipinos do not have access to either, given that the provision of these said services are not the priority of the national government. Majority of cities and provinces do not have sufficient facilities and institutions that address child healthcare needs: if these were made available, these would be a great assistance to many families, particularly to parents who want to engage in productive and paying work but are unable to because they cannot afford to pay for childcare services. Similarly, services for the sick and the elderly are also severely lacking.
While it is true that the responsibility of caring for children, the sick, and the elderly also lie with their own families, the government still has a major responsibility as well to provide for the care of the members of the said vulnerable sectors. Government is elected to provide for its citizens, for the social services, systems, facilities, and infrastructure that citizens need not only to survive, but to thrive and prosper. Workers, in particular, need and deserve care and support from the government given their massive contributions to society and the economy. Workers devote their lives to run the wheels of the economy, but tragically, get very little in return for their labor. Government has all but relegated the role of caring for citizens, for workers to the private sector which in turn cares very little for public service and instead focuses on generating the greatest possible income from the hospitals and schools they operate.
As the government continues to turn its back on its duty to care for us citizens, it actively promotes its own Labor Export Policy. Filipinos who are learned, skilled, and trained in health and teaching are encouraged and practically pushed out of the country to work overseas as caregivers and household staff. They leave the Philippines and their families to risk their lives to earn marginal wages, to contend with inhumane labor policies of long work hours, unsafe conditions in the workplace, and all without the benefit of job security.
Filipino workers in the care sector call for the following:
* A wage increase for all workers. The National Minimum Wage law should also be reinstated.
* Recognition and respect for the right to unionize
* Increase the budget for the health and education sectors. This includes the provision of more and better facilities for child health care and services for the sick and the elderly.
* Strict implementation of the laws protecting the rights of pregnant women, persons with disability, as well as the sick and the elderly
Kilusang Mayo Uno denounces the inhumane and anti-poor neoliberal policies of privatization and deregulation of the global labor market and the Philippine government’s own Labor Export Policy. Filipino workers must link arms with workers from all industries, and from other countries to strengthen the fight for labor and human rights!
