UMA Isabela documented at least 50 cases of forced surrenders. Meanwhile, the National Federation of Sugar Workers (NFSW) said that forced surrenders reduced their membership of 12,000 sugar workers to only around 6,000.
This book will certainly arm the consciousness and inspire a new generation of labor organizers and workers of the skills and attitude to challenge the odds.
This year, workers intensified their calls for a wage hike and the lowering of prices, saying that the pay should be able to cover the needs of a family of five.
“We are asking the (Philippine Overseas Labor Office) to look into this and abolish the OEC because this is an added burden and cost to our fellow migrant workers.”
The minimum wage in the Philippines barely covers the needs of a family of five.
Among the issues confronting women workers are union-busting and redtagging.
“The supervening event of a very high inflation is enough reason to raise the wages of workers, salaries of employees and livelihoods of [Filipinos].”
Various government workers’ unions have gathered to call for higher pay and better working conditions as they assail the apparent indifference of the Marcos Jr. administration to their plight.
“There is nothing to fret about the proposed reimbursement of the P1.5 billion collected taxes from 700,000 poll workers who served during the last election. If at all, they should be thanked for their service, and this can help them make ends meet amid this crisis we are in.”
Government workers are worried over the reported plans of Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.’s administration to ‘rightsize’ government agencies, saying “ordinary Filipino government workers are the usual victims of this mass layoff.”
A labor group assailed the Department of Finance’s proposed tax reform for the new administration, saying the government apparently does not care on people’s welfare.