Isang marubdob na pakikiramay at mahigpit na pakikiisa ang ipinaaabot ng Alliance of Progressive Labor sa mga naiwan ni Kasamang Crispin Beltran, na yumao na kaninang umaga. Pangunahin itong ipinaaabot ng APL kay Ka Osang, ang pinakamamahal na katuwang ni Ka Bel, at sa kanilang mga anak at mga apo. Inihahatid din ito ng APL sa partidong Anakpawis, na siyang kinakatawan ni Ka Bel sa Kongreso, at sa iba pang mga samahan na naging bahagi siya, laluna ang Kilusang Mayo Uno na kinikilala namin bilang kasamahan sa kilusang paggawa ng bansa.

Malaking kawalan ang pagpanaw ni Ka Bel – hindi lang sa hanay ng partidong Anakpawis at ng KMU, kundi sa kabuuang kilusang paggawa at sa progresibo’t militanteng pulitika sa loob at labas ng Kongreso.

Malaki at mahalaga ang mga naiambag ni Ka Bel sa mga pagkilos para ipagtanggol at isulong ang mga karapatan at interes ng mga manggagawa at mamamayan, laluna noong madilim na panahon ng batas militar hanggang sa kasalukuyang madilim pa ring rehimen ni Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo at sa maka-kapitalistang globalisasyon na humahagupit sa buong mundo.

Dapat lamang kilalanin at ipagpugay ang mahaba at dedikadong paninilbihan at mga sakripisyong inilaan ni Ka Bel para sa mga manggagawa at taumbayan sa mahigit 50 taon ng kanyang 75 taong pagkabuhay! Mula sa pagiging unyonista at lider ng mga drayber ng taksi noong dekada ‘50 hanggang sa tuluyan niyang paglusong sa pag-oorganisa at pamumuno ng mga samahang manggagawa, gaya ng Panalo at Anglo, at hanggang sa rurok nito, ang KMU. Dapat lamang kilalanin at hangaan ang hindi niya pagbibitaw sa kanyang prinsipyo, kapalit man ay kagipitan ng pamilya at ng sarili, at sa kabila man ng mga panunupil ng estado at ng naghaharing uri.

Paalam, Ka Bel. Maraming salamat sa pagpapaangat mo ng kilusang paggawa at ng militante’t progresibong hanay.

Josua Mata
Secretary General
Alliance of Progressive Labor (APL)

The P20 minimum wage increase in Metro-Manila was lambasted by the Alliance of Progressive Labor (APL) as an “insult to the working class!”

“We demand a legislated, across the board, nationwide wage increase and 0% tax exemption for minimum wage earners,” Daniel L. Edralin, APL Chairperson, said.

Edralin said that the P20 wage “hike” would not even make a dent in alleviating the pressures of increasing prices of oil, food and power costs. Worst, it would not be enjoyed by all minimum wage earners, he added.

The APL explained wage orders come with numerous exemptions that limit the effective coverage of the of the minimum wage adjustment. That in addition, there is a “BAMBI Law” or the RA 9178, which automatically exempts workers employed in micro business enterprises or BMBES. But that the bigger problem is the fact that the minimum wage laws are wantonly violated.

“This proves once again the need to reform the wage setting mechanism in the country,” Edralin said. The regional wage boards simply cannot live up to their mandates of ensuring the workers’ equitable share in the fruits of his labor,” he added.

Edralin explained that instead of regional minimum wages, what is needed is to have a national minimum wage that acts as the “floor wage” for all workers and then higher industry minimum wages set by industry-wide wage boards.

Today, 17,000 members of the Federation of Iloilo Jeepney Owners and Driver Associations (FIJODA-NCTU) launched a crippling province-wide transport strike to press for the removal of the 12% VAT on petroleum products and fro the scrapping of the Oil Deregulation Law.

“Government’s inaction in the face of skyrocketing oil prices forced us to take this drastic measure,” declared Proceso “Ka Porcing” Pareño, President of FIJODA-NCTU.

The FIJODA is echoing the demands of its mother organization, the National Confederation of Transportworkers’ Unions (NCTU). As the global crude oil prices breached the US$ 120 mark, the NCTU called on government to implement a package of reforms: remove the 12% VAT on petroleum products, pass the P125 wage increase and scrap the Oil Deregulation Law (RA 8479).

Removing the 12% VAT would lower diesel fuel prices from P4.78 – P5.28. “This would ease the burden not only of transport workers but more so of the general public,” Ka Porcing said. “It would also go a long way in easing the rising cost of food and other basic necessities,” he added.

Ka Porcing also said that they are not inclined to ask for fare hikes unless workers receive a wage increase. That is why FIJODA-NCTU is supporting the passage of the P125 legislated increase for minimum wage earners.

Ka Porcing also explained that for years transport workers have been asking government to scrap the Oil Deregulation Law. “A decade of living under RA 8479 is enough proof that the law is a complete failure,” Ka Porcing said. “Rather than benefit of the working class, it has only allowed the oil companies to further enrich themselves,” he added.

Oil companies have jacked up pump prices by P1 per liter this weekend, and are threatening to further increase their prices on a weekly basis.

While admitting that the scrapping of RA 8479 would require Congressional action, Ka Porcing said that Malacañang can certainly speed things up by certifying the repeal of RA 8479.

“This is just a warning shot against government,” Ka Porcing said. “Should government remain deaf and blind to the worsening condition of the transport workers and the riding public, we will launch more crippling strikes,” he added.

FIJODA is a newly established federation of 20 transport organizations in Iloilo. Its members ply all the routes outside of Iloilo City.

Amidst a new round of oil price hikes and threats of more increases to come, members of the Alliance of Progressive Labor (APL) today picketed Congress to emphasize the urgency of passing a legislative measure that would exempt minimum wage earners from paying income tax and once again urged legislators to adopt a proposal for P150,000 personal tax exemption for all tax payers.

“We warn Congress against passing a deceptive tax reform bill”, Edwin Bustillos, APL Deputy Secretary General, said. “Any bill that could not guarantee zero taxes for minimum wage earners for at least the next 2-3 years would be deceptive”, he added.

In particular, the protesters were incensed by the recent proposal for a P113,000 threshold. “It is a deceptive package as forthcoming minimum wage increases this coming June and in the next few months would put minimum wage earners above these proposed threshold and would be taxable once again,” the labor leader explained.

Minimum wage earners in Metro Manila earns P113,000 per annum.

“This proposal is the only latest attempt to hoodwink the working class,” Bustillos said.

He explained that earlier, Rep. Exequiel Javier, Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, misrepresented the agreement for a P150,000 personal exemption for all tax payers arrived at during the public hearing held by his committee last April 22, 2008. But contrary to what was discussed, the committee report later provided instead for a P150,000 exemption per family, and not per individual taxpayer.

The Alliance of Progressive Labor (APL) today reiterated its call on Congress to expedite the passage of a bill that would exempt minimum wage earners from paying income and urged legislators to adopt the proposal for a P150,000 personal exemption.

“As workers continue to suffer from the worsening economic crunch, the least that the Congress can do to help ease the burden of the working class is to enact a legislated wage increase and a tax reform law that would exempt all minimum wage earners from paying income taxes,” Daniel L. Edralin, APL Chairperson said.

“We are appalled by the way Rep. Exequiel Javier misrepresented the agreement for a P150,000 personal exemption for all tax payers arrived at during the public hearing held by the Ways and Means Committee last April 22, 2008,” Edralin said. The labor leader explained that contrary to what was discussed, the committee report later provided instead for a P150,000 exemption per family, and not per individual taxpayer.

The APL also expressed its disgust over efforts to undermine workers’ yearning for a meaningful tax relief during the Lower House’s continuing debate on its version of the tax reform. From P150,000, proposals have gone down to P130,000, and even down to P113,000. “A tax reform bill allowing for a measly P113,000 personal exemption is deceptive as forthcoming minimum wage increases this coming June and in the next few months would put minimum wage earners above these proposed lower thresholds and therefore again taxable,” he added.

“Any tax exemption bill should guarantee zero taxes for minimum wage earners at least for the next 2-3 years,” Edralin said.

The APL is a national labor center with 50,000 members working in the formal and informal sectors nationwide.