Employee union in the Philippines wants more financial aid

Senate employees in the Philippines have been successful in their decades-long call for increased benefits and aid to sustain their livelihoods in the face of rising living costs.

The Sandigan ng mga Empleyadong Nagkakaisa sa Adhikain ng Demokratikong Organisasyon (SENADO), the Senate employee’s union in the Philippines, has been leading the call for higher benefits, citing the gap between the minimum wage and the set family living wage of P1,161 (US$21) daily.

The Senate has responded to their calls by raising the one-time inflation assistance for all 3,000 Senate employees from P12,000 (US$217) to P50,000 (US$906) to help employees amid rising costs of goods and living. SENADO welcomed this move while also calling for higher benefits for all employees, both in the public and private sectors, and expressed hope that the success they have achieved will serve as a standard for all employees. 

READ: Employees in the Philippines want more say in wage hike review

In response to the country’s soaring inflation rate, a resolution has been filed at the Senate to increase the minimum wage for employees struggling with the rising costs of goods and services. Labour group Partido Manggagawa has called for the passage of a law that would increase the minimum wage for all employees by P100 (US$1.81), emphasising that a review of the minimum wage policy alone would not suffice to address the rising living costs experienced by many Filipinos, reported Philstar.