Labor Day
THE Philippines joins the rest of the world in this year’s annual celebration of “Labor Day” on May 1 to honor the working class, the creator of wealth in society.
Most countries across the globe celebrate this special day on this date, but the United States (US), the United Kingdom (UK) and Canada mark it on the first Monday of September.
This year, in the view of Senator Joel Villanueva, it is just and proper for the government to include a package of benefits for the nation’s beleaguered healthcare workers.
“Given today’s circumstances, I think that should be a major plank of the traditional May 1 announcement by Malacanang,” said Villanueva, chair of the Senate committee on labor.
Of course, Villanueva was referring to the customary practice of the government to announce a package of pro-labor programs and projects on the holiday honoring workers.
“Ang pakiusap po natin sa Palasyo,” he said, “sa Mayo Uno ay unahin po natin ang mga manggagawa sa kalusugan,” who are frontliners in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
The senator from Bulacan said that even before COVID-19 struck last year, the pay and allowances of government health workers, like nurses, were already ripe for an adjustment.
He said the pandemic, which continues to displace workers, made this upgrade more urgent. “Hazardous work must be properly compensated,” Villanueva added.
However, he explained that his proposal is not limited to those in the public employ, but also covers health workers in the country’s private hospitals and infirmaries.
Without doubt, the government cannot afford to have worker unrest at this time of economic hardship, when millions of Filipinos are jobless and underemployed.
