At A Glance
- House Assistant Minority Leader Gabriela Party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas is up in arms over the reported proposal of employers' groups to increase workers' wages by a meager P24.

(Kathleen Jean Forbes)
House Assistant Minority Leader Gabriela Party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas is up in arms over the reported proposal of employers' groups to increase workers' wages by a meager P24.
Brosas, a member of the Makabayan bloc, described the proposal as "insulting and out of touch with the economic realities faced by Filipino workers".
"A P24 increase is a slap in the face of our workers who have long been bearing the brunt of economic crisis after crisis," she added.
The militant Makabayan bloc is pushing for a substantial P750 across-the-board wage hike. This is embodied in their House Bill (HB) No.7568, or the proposed P750 National Minimum Wage Act.
Needless to say, the amount is a far cry from the P24 wage hike that was supposedly floated by employers' groups.
"The current minimum wage of P610 in Metro Manila is grossly insufficient to meet the basic needs of Filipino families. With the rising costs of basic goods and services, workers are struggling to make ends meet. An immediate P750 wage increase is necessary to bring the minimum wage closer to the family living wage of P1,200," Brosas stated.
She also rejected calls for a moratorium on wage increases, and said it would only further push workers into poverty.
"Any delay in implementing a significant wage hike will only exacerbate the suffering of our workers. The government must prioritize the welfare of the working class over the profits of big businesses," she added.