HINIMOK ng isang House panel chairman ang pagsusulong ng mga batas na magbibigay sa pamahalaang Duterte ng kakayahang masolusyunan ang unemployment at job insecurity na nararanasan ng mga manggagawa bunsod ng pagbagsak ng ekonomiya dulot ng COVID-19 pandemic.
Binigyang-diin ni Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) Partylist Rep. Raymond Democrito Mendoza na upang mapanumbalik ang sigla ang ekonomiya ay dapat na may malinaw at matibay na action plan ang gobyerno na nakatuon sa pagtulong sa mga manggagawa at pagsalba sa mga negosyo.
“Without a clear direction and without putting the needs of workers at the forefront of policies, our entire economy could collapse when the workers who hold it up are left hungry and forgotten. Public health and support for the economy are equally important, and there is no need to sacrifice one for the other if there is sufficient foresight. We are asking the government to listen to the needs of the workers, because they have felt the brunt of this pandemic and are out of options should their situation continue,” sabi pa ni Mendoza, chairnan ng House Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs.
“Most urgent of all is putting money in the hands of the workers, especially those who have been put on furlough by their companies. While policies released by the DOLE may allow temporary suspension of the employer-employee relationship, it is unconscionable to expect workers to survive more than half a year without a job and without an income. Without a government subsidy, these workers who have been laid off will be unable to provide food and other necessities for their families,” dsgdag pa niya.
Ikinalungkot ni Mendoza ang inilarawan niya na ‘policy cracks’ sa pamahalaan kung saan tila mas prayoridad pa umano ang pagbibigay ng ayuda, gaya ng 4Ps program ng Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), kaysa bigyang-pansin ang kalagayan ng mga manggagawa na halos isang kahig, isang tuka sa ngayon, lalo na ang mga nawalan ng trabaho.
Giit ng TUCP partylist solon, ang private sector ay hindi na maaasahan sa pagsusumikap na lumikha ng mga trabaho at sa halip, ang gobyerno na ang dapat na manguna at maging aktibo rito.
“It is now time to rethink the role of government as merely facilitating the policy-climate whereby the private sector is incentivized to invest thereby creating private sector jobs. We appeal to government to increase financing for wage subsidies and public infrastructure which will create much needed jobs. We need government spending – and borrowing – to be more aggressive to provide financial support for workers as the numbers of those out of work demand it,” ang panawagan ni Mendoza. ROMER R. BUTUYAN
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