Presidential aspirant and labor leader Leodegario “Ka Leody” de Guzman has proposed that shortening work hours could alleviate unemployment rates in the country should the national economy improve.
“May isang strategic o panawagan na dapat iksian yung oras ng trabaho ng mga manggagawa. Halimbawa mula sa otso oras gawing six hours na walang bawas sa sweldo at benepisyo (A strategy to address unemployment is the reduction of work hours for employees. For example, from eight hours, reduce it to six hours without reducing salary or benefits),” asserted de Guzman during the online Pandesal Forum hosted by the Quezon City-based Kamuning Bakery.
“Yung 25 percent, yung two hours na malilibre ay pwedeng lumikha ng 11 million na mga manggagawa dun sa kasalukuyang may trabaho ngayon kung mababawasan sila ng tig-dalawang oras, ibibigay natin dun sa mga walang trabaho (The 25 percent, the two hours that are deducted from the workers now can potentially create 11 million jobs, jobs that we can give to the unemployed),” said de Guzman.
De Guzman was then asked by the media to clarify his statement on reducing work hours.
“Ang aking proposal, hindi naman immediate yan, wala yun sa proposal namin ni Walden , ang sinasabi ko kanina nasa ganyang direksyon kapag maayos na ang ating ekonomiya ay dun natin iimpose yung paiikliin yung oras ng pagawa ng mga manggagawa. Ang ibig sabihin nun ay hindi nawawala o hindi mababawasan yung kanyang sahod at kanyang benepisyo na tinatanggap. Yun ay babawasan ang kanyang oras pero ganoon pa rin ang sweldo at benepisyo kanyang tatanggapin (My proposal isn’t immediate, and Walden and I do not include it in our proposal. What I mean to say is that this is the direction I want to take when the economy is stable, only then will we impose the reduction of work hours for employees. What that means is that salary and benefits will not be reduced, only the hours),” he explained.
Manila Bulletin reported on Jan. 16 that the Asian Development Bank projected that, despite the unemployment rate decreasing from the peak 8.9 percent in September 2021 to 6.5 percent in November 2021, the number of jobless Filipinos would continue to remain high in the country for a long period of time due to lingering effects from the coronavirus pandemic.
Partido Lakas ng Masa (PLM) duo de Guzman and Bello have centered their platform on improving worker’s rights and wages, imposing higher taxation on the ultra-wealthy, and upholding human rights in the country.
De Guzman, who ran for senator in 2019, filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) for president in the 2022 elections on Wednesday, Oct. 6.