Gov’t employees hit new P1,000 allowance 06-03-05

	NORDIS WEEKLY March 5, 2006
Home \| To bottom	Previous \| Next
Gov’t employees hit new P1,000 allowance
BAGUIO CITY (Mar.1) — The Confederation for Unity, Recognition and Advancement of Government Employees (Courage) criticized Administrative Order (AO) 144 or the additional monthly allowance to government employees. The said additional allowance takes effect this March. Courage Chairperson Ferdinand Gaite, AO 144 is not the solution to the economic burden of government employees. He stressed that this only shows the Arroyo administration’s disregard to the long overdue government employees’ demand for a P 3,000 across-the-board wage increase. According to Courage, as of 2001, the minimum gross pay of the national government employees, is P5,082 a month, way below the present coast of living of an average Filipino family. The group reiterated that the minimal additional allowance does not improve the salary condition of the employees. Gaite further said that the increasing prices of goods and services, with the implementation of the Reformed Value Added Tax (RVAT) law even worsened the already impoverished state of government workers. The group urges the government to return the Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) and other benefits like amelioration and medical allowances, hazard and back pays that the government denied public workers. Courage also opposed government’s premises for pushing the implementation of the Executive Order (EO) 366 or the “Rationalization” scheme. Gaite said that the globalization, inefficiency and duplication of some agencies, and branding other offices as ‘outdated’, are not enough justifications to streamline the bureaucracy. He said EO 366 would affect about 400,000 employees or 30% of the total government employee population. He also claimed that the administration’s plan to rationalize, reorganize and privatize its agencies and offices are direct threats to job security. The group also said that the democratic and union rights of the government employees are curtailed citing the “no strike policy” of the government. The group questioned EO180 prohibiting employees to engage in strike or any mass action against their management, while there is a provision in the Constitution that guarantees the labor rights to strike and to self-organize. They also condone the limited negotiable provisions in the Collective Negotiations Agreement (CNA) that exclude non-members for some allowances and benefits. Courage continues to uphold these rights by continuously urging the government to junk policy of mass lay-off through EO 366, to provide the salary increase and the return of COLA, and demands to repeal the “no strike policy” for genuine public sector union reforms. # Katherine del Rosario and Rhea Urbano/UP Interns for NORDIS Post your comments, reactions to this article
Home \| Back to top	Previous \| Next

	NORDIS WEEKLY March 5, 2006
Home \| To bottom	Previous \| Next
Gov’t employees hit new P1,000 allowance
BAGUIO CITY (Mar.1) — The Confederation for Unity, Recognition and Advancement of Government Employees (Courage) criticized Administrative Order (AO) 144 or the additional monthly allowance to government employees. The said additional allowance takes effect this March. Courage Chairperson Ferdinand Gaite, AO 144 is not the solution to the economic burden of government employees. He stressed that this only shows the Arroyo administration’s disregard to the long overdue government employees’ demand for a P 3,000 across-the-board wage increase. According to Courage, as of 2001, the minimum gross pay of the national government employees, is P5,082 a month, way below the present coast of living of an average Filipino family. The group reiterated that the minimal additional allowance does not improve the salary condition of the employees. Gaite further said that the increasing prices of goods and services, with the implementation of the Reformed Value Added Tax (RVAT) law even worsened the already impoverished state of government workers. The group urges the government to return the Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) and other benefits like amelioration and medical allowances, hazard and back pays that the government denied public workers. Courage also opposed government’s premises for pushing the implementation of the Executive Order (EO) 366 or the “Rationalization” scheme. Gaite said that the globalization, inefficiency and duplication of some agencies, and branding other offices as ‘outdated’, are not enough justifications to streamline the bureaucracy. He said EO 366 would affect about 400,000 employees or 30% of the total government employee population. He also claimed that the administration’s plan to rationalize, reorganize and privatize its agencies and offices are direct threats to job security. The group also said that the democratic and union rights of the government employees are curtailed citing the “no strike policy” of the government. The group questioned EO180 prohibiting employees to engage in strike or any mass action against their management, while there is a provision in the Constitution that guarantees the labor rights to strike and to self-organize. They also condone the limited negotiable provisions in the Collective Negotiations Agreement (CNA) that exclude non-members for some allowances and benefits. Courage continues to uphold these rights by continuously urging the government to junk policy of mass lay-off through EO 366, to provide the salary increase and the return of COLA, and demands to repeal the “no strike policy” for genuine public sector union reforms. # Katherine del Rosario and Rhea Urbano/UP Interns for NORDIS Post your comments, reactions to this article
Home \| Back to top	Previous \| Next