THE ALLIANCE of Concerned Teachers described the Salary Standardization Law V “worthless” as it only managed to add a real value of P4.85 in the government workers’ daily minimum wage from 2018 to 2022.

The group was reacting to the Department of Budget and Management’s statement that government workers are assured of pay increase in 2023 as mandated by the SSL V.

“Anong umento sa mga kawani ng gobyerno sa 2023 ipinagmamalaki ng DBM gayung ni hindi makabili ng 1 sachet ng 3in1 coffee ang barat na umentong ibinigay ng pamahalaan sa nakaraang apat na taon? Ang kabuuang P2,061 na dagdag sa buwanang sweldo ng kawaning salary grade I mula 2018 hanggag ngayon ay P106 lamang ang tunay na halaga o P4.85 kada araw, dahil sa napakataas na implasyon,” Vladimer Quetua, the group’s chairperson, said.

“The government is the number one violator of the set minimum wage. While private sector workers in the National Capital Region are mandated to receive a daily minimum wage of P570 or P14,820 per month, salary grade I government employees now only receive P12,517 monthly. The set increase to P13,000 in 2023 still falls short of the NCR minimum wage. While our rank-and-file government employees and professionals receive salaries below liveable levels, salaries of top officials scandalously swelled at P200,000 to more than P400,000 per month. Our government is shameless in promoting and implementing unjust salary schemes in its own backyard,” Quetua added.

The group sought a four-grade adjustment to teachers’ salaries, starting from the upgrading of Teacher I position with salary grade 11 to salary grade 15 so that their pay will be at par with other professionals like uniformed personnel and nurses.

“We call for an end to all these ills that press down the salaries of government workers. Ibigay ang nakabubuhay na sahod sa kawani ng pamahalaan at lahat ng mangagawa!” Quetua said.