Labor group disputes claims of high sugarcane labor costs

MANILA, Philippines — The Unyon ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura (UMA) has challenged the Sugar Council’s characterization of sugarcane labor as costly, citing low wages, long working hours without overtime pay and hundreds of thousands of field workers who reportedly did not receive seasonal cash bonuses. In a statement, UMA chairperson Ariel Casilao said most