Labor groups rally for P200 wage hike, scuffle with police

On Labor Day, May 1, militant groups and labor organizations rallied in Metro Manila, urging the national government to certify a proposed P200 wage hike bill as urgent.

A short scuffle broke out between protesters and police near the University of the East (UE) in Recto when demonstrators attempted to remove steel barricades placed by authorities to prevent them from reaching Mendiola.

The House of Representatives has already approved on second reading House Bill No. 11376, which requires all private sector employers to provide workers with a P200 daily wage increase.

Members of the National Wage Coalition (NWC), including Kilusang Mayo Uno and Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino, marched along España Boulevard towards Mendiola for their protests.

Akbayan Partylist joined SENTRO in a rally where Atty. Chel Diokno emphasized the need to enact the P200 wage hike as soon as possible to ease workers' lives.

Rep. Perci Cendaña noted that addressing low-income conditions faced by Filipino workers is crucial for improving public trust and called on Malacañang to end labor contractualization and advance the Security of Tenure Law.