NANAWAGAN ang isang advocacy group sa gobyerno ngayong Araw ng Paggawa na magporma na ng post-ECQ recovery plans.

Ang Power for People Coalition (P4P), isang grupo na may adbokasiya para sa clean energy and power consumers, ay nanawagan na bigyan pansin ang bigat na dinadala ng mga manggagawa sa pagharap nila sa panganib sa kanilang kalusugan, kakulangan ng kita at pag-aalala kung paano nila mababayaran ang basic utilities ngayong may COVID-19.

Habang ang gobyerno ay sinasabing ibinasura na ang bayarin para sa utilities sa panahon ng ECQ, karamihan sa mga manggagawa ay pinagbayad pa rin.

“This is the first Labor Day in the history of the Philippines where workers are unable to march to celebrate their victories and to advance their working conditions. In a way, this is apt because what the pandemic has shown is that workers bear the brunt of every crisis—from COVID-19 to climate change. They lose their jobs, cannot access benefits or social services, get displaced or get sick, and, at the end of the day, they still have to foot the bill for food, water, and electricity and get no say in any of these,” ani P4P Convenor Gerry Arances.

Sa kabila ng pamamahagi ng ayuda ng gobyerno sa taumbayan ay marami pa ring pamilya ang naghihirap partikular ang mga manggagawa na naapektuhan ng pagsasara ng kanilang mga kumpanya dahil sa ipinatutupad na ECQ.

Sinabi pa ni Arances na ang sagot ng gobyerno sa pandemic ay nagpapakita ng radical na pagbabago para sa working class.

“The government can build a people-centered economy which would allow workers to enjoy their fair share of the fruits of their labors. And the government can begin that by waiving the utility bills of all residential units for the duration of the quarantine and providing direct assistance to workers instead of bailing out or subsidizing big companies. The government is in full control of the economy after the ECQ. What they would do would show their priorities to the people,” dagdag pa ni Arances. JOEL O. AMONGO