Pnoy government is anti-labor and anti-People: EDSA 4 is within reach

Presidential spokesperson Ed Lacierda is at it again. He says that government does not favor a wage adjustment because, from his understanding of labor laws, regional tripartite wage boards are only allowed to suggest a wage increase, once every year. Wrong.


According to the law, if there are supervening events, like a sudden spike in oil and prices of commodities, wage boards are mandated by law to assist the workers through an increase in their daily wages.


The NCR daily wage right now is pegged at 403 pesos per day. Based on the proposal of several trade unions, particularly the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines or TUCP, the average laborer needs 53 pesos more to survive. That is their right, says the TUCP.


Now, here comes Black and White Movement member Ed Lacierda telling the people, nay, the workers that they don't deserve a wage hike. 


This is the second time that this administration has shown its true colors.


One, at the height of the PAL worker's dispute with Tan, the Labor secretary announced that companies, like PAL, have the right to fire their employees any time and replace them with "outsourced ones". And during the negotiations with the PAL management, the Labor secretary even tried to intervene as if she is the representative of Big Business, rather than the oppressed PAL workers. Talk about a labor secretary, this one labors to become part of Big Business. Pity.


And now this...


Whose side is this administration trying to fight for? Is Pnoy on the side of the oppressed workers, who live in dire straits every, single day? Or Pnoy favors Big Business more since they gave him enough money to manipulate, err, win the elections?


While the masses think of how to survive this latest onslaught, here comes Pnoy with his new Porsche. 


Now, we know who really is Pnoy.


Pnoy, unlike his father, Ninoy, does not understand the plight of the Filipino masses. Yes, he says that, like us, he felt aggrieved or oppressed during the time of Arroyo. He also says that he understands the sufferings of the people and want nothing more than solve them.


Yet, these are clear proofs that Pnoy is not the man he says he is. 


He does not fight for the rights of the workers. Fact is, he does not even have a clear labor policy. 


He does not fight for the rights of the ordinary Filipino who sweats and toils like a slave every single day and being oppressed by Big Business, oh no.


Pnoy fights for the rights of Big Business for them to rake huge profits from the near empty pockets of the poor and the oppressed. 


When asked what he'll do about the impending price hike at the tolls and the MRT/LRT, Pnoy says that we must allow investors to at least rake in huge profits from us. Pnoy says it is the right of Big Business to suck out blood from us, to sip every marrow in our bones and literally, suck us all dry. 


Is this the way Pnoy treats us? Maybe he thinks that we are still capable of paying a 50 peso kilo of rice or pay for a 30 peso per MRT ride? 


Pnoy sits in his chair, drinking his expensive wine and smoking his foreign cigarette brand, and forgets that there are millions out there, all worried on how to survive this latest onslaught. 


Pnoy's mind may be too pre-occupied with choosing his next lady conquest or maybe cigarette smoke clouds his mind every time that he is unable to see clearly the huge masses of people walking like ghosts along Legarda and Recto avenues, trying desperately to think of ways on how to earn extra money just to pay that Meralco bill. 


We, the Filipino People, have been suckered into believing that change will happen during Pnoy's time. Yes, there were changes. These changes, however, are getting us nowhere, except down south. 


I call upon all workers to unite and break their chains! I call upon all Patriotic elements in Philippine society to rally behind the unions of the workers and show this administration that enough is enough!


What we are seeing right now is the calm before the storm. The Pnoy administration sits in a smoldering social firestorm and it would only be a few days before this heat suddenly burst the entire State open. 


It is time for the unions to unify and change Philippine society for the better. It is time for Filipino workers to assert their rights and prevent the government from being transformed into a petty toy of Big Business. 


To those who think that Pnoy still has some political capital to spend---you are definitely wrong! Look at the latest and true surveys conducted by legitimate pollsters and you'll know the truth.


There is now, a rising discontent among the People and this administration will truly be helpless in preventing people from another EDSA Kuwatro.


EDSA Four is now, slowly enfolding right before our very eyes.


The absence of justice, and the seeming lack of care by this government and this government's anti-labor, anti-People policy will definitely lead to the downfall of this administration.


Be forewarned. The impending doom is now near the doorsteps of the elite. The Masses are uniting and are ready to fight this government who pretends to be with the People.