CEBU, Philippines - At least 11 workers groups and unions, which compose the Cebu Labor Coalition, will be filing today a petition seeking for a P126.60 across the board increase in the daily minimum wages of workers in Central Visayas before the regional office of the Regional Tripartite Wage Productivity Board.
In a press conference yesterday, the coalition headed by Jose Tomongha, chairman of the Alliance of Progressive Labor-Central Visayas, cited eleven grounds as their bases in seeking for a wage hike. These are insufficient wage increases from the past, the reduction of the purchasing power of the peso, unstable oil price, increases in the prices of basic commodities, consumer price index, inflation rate, the value of the current minimum wage of P267 has a purchasing power of only P16.00, reformed value added tax and hike in taxes, globalization effects, transportation fare increase and water and electric increases.
The coalition stated that since 2008, prices of basic commodities soar up until now which has crippled the worker’s purchasing power and worsened by the inflation rate as well as shrinking the value of the peso. It added that the organized labor demand for a P128.60 across the board wage adjustments in the minimum wage does not live up to the constitutionally guaranteed living wage based on the index of the National Statistics Office wherein a family of six in the region should have P867.00 as of 2008 daily income in order to adequately meet their basic needs.
However, the coalition added that even if the amount they demand is granted on top of the present minimum wage of P267, it will only raise the minimum wage to P395 per day in Central Visayas, which is still not even half of the living wage that was identified by the census office.
Robert Go, owner of Prince Warehouse Club and director of the Philippine Retailers Association said that asking for a wage hike at this time is untimely and will only add to the army of unemployed.
Go said that with most of the exporters still struggling another increase in wage will also raise the probability of the remaining exporters to close down and let go of their remaining employees. — Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon/WAB (FREEMAN NEWS)