Labor groups criticized the government for extending the list of public holidays for 2023. These changes will promote domestic travel and support rising tourism-related costs in the country. Since the majority of workers are hard up making enough income, they are unlikely to benefit from the long weekends.
Labor groups are not happy with the government adding more long weekends to the list of public holidays for 2023 instead of raising the wages amid the rising cost of living.
The labor coalition Nagkaisa questioned the logic of President Marcos Jr to revive the “holiday economics” in his Proclamation No 90 to help boost the economy.
Partido Manggagawa Chair and Nagkaisa spokesperson Renato Magtubo said most workers are unlikely to benefit from the long weekends under the new issuance since they barely have enough income to make ends meet, Business Mirror reported.
“The most pressing concern of the working class today is their capacity to spend above their basic needs, thus, poverty wages would prevent them from enjoying holiday economics,” Magtubo said.
Under Proclamation 90, Jan. 2, a Monday, was declared as an additional special non-working holiday.
The new issuance moved the regular holidays for the observances of Bonifacio Day and the Araw ng Kagitingan to the Mondays that were closest to the relevant dates.
The adjustments aim to create more long weekends next year to encourage domestic travel and help increase tourism revenue in the country.
Magtubo explained that a wage increase would more effectively encourage consumers to spend more and boost the economy.
“If President Marcos really wanted to perk up the economy, he should join workers in asking Congress to legislate a wage hike as well as establish a robust public employment program to shore up the income of every Filipino,” Magtubo said.
Further, Nagkaisa chair and Federation of Free Workers (FFW) President Sonny Matula also called out the government for “commercializing” important national holidays.
“Like Labor Day, Araw ng Kagitingan and Bonifacio day are significant days dear to workers and the trade union movement is committed to commemorate the struggles on their historical dates and not on the revised commercialized dates dictated by holiday economics,” Matula said.
Tags: #LaborGroups, #2023holidays