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I just want to share my thoughts on this 37K fiasco. One of the things that might have bothered me why I was uncomfortable with reading is that Filipinos see negotiating as a privilege. What the applicant did might have been right for her but for many don't have that luxury (1/n)
I sympathize with her because I used to believe that because I graduated top of my class and that I come from a known university I would mean that I can negotiate and get a higher salary. But it seems that for many of us who worked 'hard' in college, reality seems dim. (2/n)
Perhaps, maybe that is why people like me who had my first job in a small college feel that the salary was generous because I only had 9-10k starting. Despite the fact I had a decorated CV. I felt as if that the school I was working for exploited me. (3/n)
Thus, it's a bit unavoidable for people who have been unlucky like me to see others to have that privilege to demand something higher. I know that what she did was right but I also feel that not many of us have that privilege and it makes us angrier. (4/n)
This anger might be projected towards the HR or the applicant but upon inspection it should be targeted towards a system that normalizes 10-13k as starting salaries. I do not know who the applicant is but for someone like me, demanding higher might mean losing that offer. (5/n)
I'm putting perspective here because I want to explain why some people feel uncomfortable with the scenario and it's because of these differences in class and socioeconomic standing. And I feel that I should be projecting my anger somewhere else. (6/n)
I did not get a contract or a formal job offer during my first job. I think I too was partly to blame because I never asked. But that was standard practice in our province... and I never got to negotiate at all despite a worked hard holistic resume. (7/n)
Some people suggest that we need to negotiate for salaries that meet the basic quality of living of 50k. How can we demand that when we know that others next to us can sell their labor cheaper? The system is pitting us against each other, but those who can demand are few. (8/n)
I support humane wages, I support increasing the minimum wage, but I'm just uncomfy wexplaining why and how these "ways to negotiate" do not work for all in an industry that treats workers as disposable and makes them compete against each other.
We need more unions. (9/n)
We need more unions. (9/n)
And while ate girl can demand easily for 60k and everyone can hate her for it. There are thousands of ate girls out there who can't demand that 60k because they just do not have the same experiences, the same degree, the same school, the same upbringing. (10/10)
Parang again individual experience yung keme dito pero ayun, yun ang nararamdaman ko, I had to understand it kasi it was bordering boomer... I hope we all try to introspect too baka kasi nagiging boomers na tayong lahat.
But these are horror stories we do not tell to graduates and I hope we become more open about these experiences. Talking about wage is uncomfy because we were socialized to attach wage to a person's standing. But this is how we unravel the system.
I'm in a better position now. And I'm happy to be in a healthier, conducive and more considerate environment.
