IS THERE a “labor vote”? The BaBaE! or Babae, Bantayan ang Eleksyon! Network, an alliance of women leaders and organizations that monitor fraud and violence during elections, is calling on workers to show their force come election day. Regular work, decent wage must be on top of candidates’ priority, it says.
This is a legit proposition. Workers should support and vote for candidates who have remained steadfast in fighting contractualization and in pushing for implementation of decent and national minimum wage to all workers.
Workers and labor unions must carefully discern who among the candidates genuinely represent them and push for their agenda in all available avenues in the government. For the longest time, many Filipinos, particularly women workers, suffer the brunt of very limited work opportunities and labor flexibilization.
At the end of 2018, unemployment rate in the women sector stood at 5.2 percent which translates to more than 800,000 jobless women. In addition, underemployment was at 13.4 percent in that same year. Meanwhile, many of those who were fortunate enough to land a job have to endure unfair labor practices and unsafe working conditions brought about by widespread contractualization.
In the manufacturing industry alone where more than one million women work, about 27 percent of workers are non-regular workers. In general, there are more than one million Filipino non-regular workers in the private sector, at least according to government records, while 27 percent of government workers or more than 600,000 are “job order” or ‘contract of service workers of which 40 percent or more than 260,000 are female employees.
In addition, uneven development has also worsened as the implementation of regional wage policy which disregards the prevailing cost of living and living wage for workers continues. Despite the incessant increases in price of petroleum products and basic commodities, minimum wage has not increased significantly, making it more difficult to cope for women workers who often bear the brunt of feeding and caring for their families. Working women were forced to buy cheaper alternatives or consume less which often sacrifices the nutrition of their children. Many also resort to finding alternative income or getting loans to be able to sustain their families’ needs.
It is high time we put government officials who will truly push for the workers’ agenda, and will seriously put an end to the sorry plight of workers.
