The Confederation for Unity, Recognition and Advancement of Government Employees (COURAGE) sets high expectations on the Department of Budget and Management’s (DBM) initiative to study potential salary increases for public sector employees, with findings expected by the first semester. For the study be considered genuinely towards the creation of a fair, equitable, and sustainable compensation framework, it should have considered setting the minimum salary for government workers by the Constitutionally-provided concept of the “living wage”.

It should be stressed that COURAGE, along with other public sector workers’ confederations, already issued a manifesto recommending a monthly minimum salary of 33,000 Php. This amount is based on IBON Foundation’s family living wage estimates of 1,197 Php/day (as of June 2024) – covering expenses for essential goods and services, as well as providing for savings and recreation.

Additionally, COURAGE expects that the study had reviewed the compensation and position classification schemes for employees in local government units (LGUs) and government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs). COURAGE stands against these schemes that have reduced rates and hindered substantial salary increases for rank-and-file workers in LGUs and GOCCs.

Moreover, COURAGE demands the inclusion of potential compensation increases for job order and contract-of-service (JOCOS) workers in the study, standing in solidarity with JOCOS workers in their fight for decent salaries and job security.

Lastly, COURAGE asserts that the Marcos Administration through the DBM, include public sector unions and confederations in the process of creating the compensation structure that supposedly “promotes social justice, integrity, efficiency, productivity, accountability, excellence, and sustainability”. It is imperative that unions, confederations and other similar and allied organizations be not just consulted, but duly represented in the process.