Separate petitions for wage increase presented

CEBU, Philippines - The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) for Central Visayas conducted a public hearing yesterday on wage adjustment.

As expected, business groups expressed their opposition to the proposed wage hike. Instead of increasing the workers salary, businessmen are proposing that they give the workers additional benefits like bonuses.

Elias Cayanong, regional director of the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) in Central Visayas and chairman of the RTWPB-7, said that this might be the last public hearing on the matter. They are expected to issue a decision within this month.

He said that all position papers must be in by 12 noon of July 7 for the wage board to study and assess before they make a decision.

The Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) and Cebu Labor Coalition filed two separate petitions. ALU-TUCP is asking for a P100-wage hike for workers in Region VII while Cebu Labor Coalition is asking for an increase of P128.60.

According to the labor groups, there have been no wage adjustment in Region 7 for two years now, when in fact, the prices of basic commodities have risen since 2008. Fares and power bills of the ordinary workers have also increased within the last two years.

Boboy Belarmino, spokesman for the Cebu Labor Coalition, said that they are asking for the P128.60-wage adjustment so the workers and their families would be able to meet their needs. They are hopeful that their petition will be approved, considering the wage hike already approved for the National Capital Region (NCR).

The National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), in a presentation, said that country is now “recovering” from the world crisis although it has yet to “fully recover.”

But Edgar Godinez, labor committee chairman of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI), said that the bulk of the business sector may not be able to afford the proposed increase.

“Ang perception man gud sa tawo nga ang dagkong company maoy big employer. Dili na. They only represent five to 10 percent of the employers of this country. The main employers of this country are those small businesses. Left and right of the road you will see small working shops, small restaurants, beauty parlors, gagmay intawn sila,” Godinez explained.

He said increasing the minimum wage is not the cure to the workers’ problem. What should be done instead, he stressed, is to generate more employment so more people will have jobs.

A representative from the Mactan Export Processing Zone (MEPZ) also cited that the companies will lose if the wage hike is granted because their workers are already receiving benefits such as meal subsidies and bonuses. He also pointed out that there was a huge drop in profits due to the world crisis since 2008.(FREEMAN NEWS)