GOV’T URGED TO GRANT WORKERS P100 WAGE RELIEF

More than the symbolic vaccination of 5,000 selected minimum wage earners and OFWs on Labor Day, the government must consider granting a P100 emergency wage relief for workers, the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) says.

"On Labor Day, give workers what is due for them -- urgent economic relief, secure jobs, and health care. A P100 wage relief is urgent and necessary especially with the rising cost of living and prolonged quarantines," the country’s biggest farmers organization argued.

KMP expressed support for House Bill 9262 filed by the Makabayan bloc in Congress that seeks to provide P100 daily wage subsidy for minimum wage earners for three consecutive months.

"The current family living wage is at P1,057. The real value of the P537 daily minimum wage in the National Capital Region (NCR) is only P434 and much lower in the regions. Many companies have also reduced workdays due to the pandemic. How can workers cope with this situation?” KMP asked.

KMP insisted government must also heed the working sector's equitable demand for free, safe, and effective vaccination. Workplaces can be superspreaders and essential workers have a high risk of getting infected with COVID-19. When workers get COVID infected, they shoulder all the costs from healthcare to hospitalization.

It also expressed concern with the country's persistently slow and delayed vaccination rollout despite the fact that P754 billion was borrowed by the Duterte administration to finance the acquisition of vaccines and therapeutics.

“As of April 27, the total vaccine doses delivered to the country was 3,525,600, while the total doses administered were only 1,809, 801. When will we achieve herd immunity with this snail-paced inoculation program?” KMP inquired.

The government promised that once the 3.3 million donated vaccines are available, the country can vaccinate 120,000 people a day.

It said the country expects to secure 2.35-million doses from Pfizer, 1.3-million vials from AztraZeneca, 2-million shots of Sputnik V, 4.5-million jabs from Sinovac and only 194,000 shots from Moderna.

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