ONWARD WITH OUR STRUGGLE

It's been quite a while since I've posted here and to start with a lot of things happened to me just this weekend which I would try to give you an account of at a later post which hopefully I'd be able to accomplish. But for the meantime here's a statement worth reading:



ONWARD WITH OUR STRUGGLE

FOR P3,000 ACROSS-THE-BOARD SALARY INCREASE!



Fare prices have already gone up. In a span of 6 months, oil prices have increased 6 times already. But, after three years, the salaries of government workers remains pegged without a centavo of increase. Under such dire economic condition, it is only just to ask for immediate relief and salary increase.



Our campaign for a P3,000 across-the-board salary increase started in 1999 when the monthly basic pay of a salary grade 1 employee is P4,400 and the cost of living for a family of six is P13,674.60 a month.



YEAR

SALARY GRADE 1

(MONTHLY PAY)

COST OF LIVING

(NWPC-DOLE)

COST OF LIVING

(IBON)

1999

PhP 4,400

PhP 13,674.60

PhP 14,239.50

2001

PhP 4,840

PhP 15,900.30

PhP 15,317.10

2004

PhP 5,082

PhP 16,860.00

PhP 16,975.50 (Feb)



A 10 % salary increase was given to government employees under the Estrada administration in response to our collective mass action in 1999. In 2001, another 5% increase was put in to effect in July of that year. Under the Arroyo administration, not a single cent of increase was given to state workers.



Before the May elections, Mrs. Arroyo promised to certify a bill allowing a 10 % salary increase if she’s elected as president. This increase is not acceptable to us. Besides being meager, this tends to increase the disparity of salaries among employees and it doesn’t address the need to increase the salaries of the lower rank and file employees who needs the increase more urgently.



The usual official response to our clamor for salary increase is that it would only worsen our budget deficit and cause inflation. We must not forget, however, that government workers working under extreme economic hardship have always been a steady source of taxes. Studies also show that corruption and lavish spending mostly done by higher officials account for about 40% of the depletion of government fund. It is also important to note that the P52 billion needed to fund the salary increase is not even more than 20% of the yearly payment by government for foreign debt.



Year

NAT’L BUDGET

Debt servicing

(interest)

Debt Servicing (principal – excluded in the budget)

Military /Defense

2002

PhP 742.0 B

PhP 185.9 B

PhP 172.1 B

PhP 38.9 B

2003

PhP 811.5 B

PhP 230.7 B

PhP 195.0 B

PhP 40.6 B

2004

PhP 804.2 B

PhP 325.0 B

PhP 270.7 B

PhP 43.2 B



10 % DI SAPAT, P3,000 DAPAT



As the union of employees in the DSWD, we declare that we are not in favor of the 10% increase. What we want is the P3,000 across-the-board salary increase. We call on our members and fellow government workers to continue our just and legitimate struggle. The key to our success is our collective strength and action!



On July 14, 2004, let us join our fellow government employees in a nationwide mass action to show our unity for this call. We ask our chapters to coordinate their actions with other government unions in their regions while our chapters at the National Capital Region shall join the government workers rally from UST Espana at 10 AM and then march to Mendiola, Manila in the afternoon on this national day of protest of government workers.



MAKIISA AT MAKIBAKA HANGGANG SA TAGUMPAY!



SOCIAL WELFARE EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION OF THE PHILIPPINES

(SWEAP)