Labor group slams BBM’s holiday economics

The labor group Partido Manggagawa (PM) slammed the holiday economics argument as President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has issued a proclamation declaring February 24, 2023 as a special nonworking holiday.

“Holiday economics makes no sense to workers. How can workers go on a holiday for P435 per day? The minimum wage is not even enough for basic necessities and is less than half the living wage of P1,300 per day,” said Dennis Derige, PM-Cebu spokesperson.

Derige said that the government should act on the P100 wage hike demand before it goes on promoting holiday economics.

According to the government’s own

Ambisyon Natin 2040, the family household income should be P120,000 per month so that it can set aside P10,000 for holiday expenses—divided into P4,000 for ‘relax with family and friends’ and P6,000 for ‘occasional trips around the country.

“Given the government’s inaction on the demand for a salary increase, it will take a century before the current

P11, 310 monthly minimum wage reaches P120,000 if at all,” he said.

He said that even the few Filipinos who can afford to go on a holiday, cannot do so because of the lastminute announcement yesterday.

“It is adding insult to injury when the government promotes holiday economics to workers. Workers suffer a salary cut when a nonworking holiday is moved to a weekday since the no work, no pay rule applies,” Derige said.

He added that instead of a hollow holiday economics policy, they asked the government for an Apat na Dapat policy package.

First, wage hikes. Second, abolition of regressive taxes like VAT and application of progressive taxation such as a wealth tax on oligarchs and billionaires. Third, social security subsidies for informal workers. Fourth, discounts on basic commodities.

“These will protect and improve the wages and incomes of workers in the formal and informal economy,” Derige further said. —