Despite being feted by Malacañang as modern day heroes in the country’s pandemic response, health-care workers (HCW) protested on Monday the alleged government “inaction” on the release of their much-needed benefits.
Several labor groups also called out the administration for the delayed release of the Special Risk Allowance (SRA), meals, accommodation and travel allowances, life insurance and other benefits of HCWs.
In his National Heroes Day message, President Duterte recognized how frontliners, including uniformed, government employees, and HCWs remain the country’s frontliners battling the Covid-19 pandemic.
“For selflessly risking their lives to ensure the survival of our society, I can confidently say they have more than earned their rightful place in the pedestal of heroes,” Duterte said.
“This year, let us consecrate this day not just as a memorial to their extraordinary heroism, but as an enduring testament to our inherent capacity to rise above self-interest to fight for a cause far greater than our own,” he added.
Labor demands
Organized labor, however, demanded more than praises for HCWs, who are struggling to cope with the burden of the rising daily new Covid-19 cases, which breached the 20,000 daily infection mark last Monday.
“Our health workers come into hospitals and communities day in and day out without proper compensation and benefits despite the hefty amounts of people’s money flagged by the Commission on Audit [COA] as deficiencies in the spending of nearly every agency under the executive,” labor coalition All Workers Unity (AWU) said in a news statement.
AWU was referring to the COA report, which flagged DOH’s supposed deficiencies in utilizing P67.3 billion of its funds last year.
“We demand that investigations be carried out on these irregularities, and all those involved be held accountable,” the group added.
Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (SENTRO) also made a similar appeal for HCWs be given proper government compensation.
“Health workers, amid reports of institutional graft and corruption, are still not adequately compensated after nearly two years of risking their lives facing Covid-19,” SENTRO said.
Such neglect, Donell Siazon, union president of University of Santo Tomas Hospital said, was “nothing to celebrate about.”
“We are outraged at the injustice and systematic neglect inflicted upon us by the government,” he said.
For its part, the Federation of Free Workers (FFW) called out to HCWs to organize amid the Covid-19 crisis so they could negotiate for better treatment from the government and the private sector.
“FFW urges the depleted but not defeated health-care workers and other frontliners to rise above the present situation by organizing their ranks and establishing links and working relationships with each other’s organizations,” Nutritionist Vilma Garcia, union president of the De La Salle Health and Science Institute Employees Union-FFW.
Image courtesy of Nonie Reyes