Int’l body investigates plight of agricultural workers

Int’l body investigates plight of agricultural workers

UMA Isabela documented at least 50 cases of forced surrenders. Meanwhile, the National Federation of Sugar Workers (NFSW) said that forced surrenders reduced their membership of 12,000 sugar workers to only around 6,000.

By ELENA FALCON
Bulatlat.com

MANILA – Dominga Aberion, a sugarcane worker from Sta. Maria, Isabela, only earns P150 ($3) a day which is below the province’s minimum wage rate of P345 ($6.33) for agricultural workers.

With her daily pay, she can only afford a kilo of rice, a little coffee and sugar, and baon or lunch money for her school aged children. Given the need to campaign for higher wages and better living conditions, Aberion formed a sugar workers’ association and registered it under the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

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