The Labor Power Council-Negros yesterday slammed the open letter of 12 business and planters groups calling on labor to join them in opposing moves towards a legislated wage for adding insult to injury.

In the interest of the working class, LPC-Negros said it is duty-bound to make a rejoinder to the Open Letter of Appeal of the capitalist in the island, which appeared in some local dailies, addressed to what they refer to us as "Our Brethren in the Labor Sector." The LPC-Negros said it supports the across-the-board wage hike of P125 approved by the Lower House.

It said contrary to the claim of the employers groups, there never existed what they call "a healthy coexistence between labor and capital."

Relationships in a production process have always been one-sided in favor of the capitalists, it said.

It also said, labor laws and standards, supposedly enacted to protect the workers are indiscriminately violated.

The minimum wage, a meager payment of the workers' daily labor decided by the wage boards, to a large extent, is not implemented, it said. Benefits due to workers are withheld if not outrightly disregarded by the capitalists, the LPC-N said, adding that the doomsday scenario is not about to befall the capitalists.

It added that a wage increase, does not factor closures or retrenchments in factories or haciendas.

The LPC-Negros said, "We do not quite agree with what the capitalists are projecting that we are partners in the process of production. We work hard but are not compensated with what is due to us."

LPC-Negros called on the workers to frustrate capitalist efforts to oppose their long sought wage hike.*

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