Labor sector laments wage board's inability

CEBU, Philippines - Wage hike petitioners have expressed their frustrations over the Regional Tripartite Wage and Productivity Board’s inability to declare a supervening condition that would have warrant already a deliberation on the pending petitions for wage increase.

Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines director for membership Ferdinand Jumapao said the labor sector is very disappointed with the results of the meetings of the RTWPB.

“Nasagmuyo gyud kaayo ang labor sector nga until now wa gyud sila ka deklarar nga adunay supervening event. Binuang kaayo ni nga ang ubang region naana silay declaration unya ang region seven wala gyud,” Jumapao said.

Alliance of Progressive Labor chairman Jose Tomongha said the labor sector is hoping that the RTWPB will look into the economic situation in Central Visayas in its entirety. APL and ALU-TUCP both filed petitions for wage increase that are still pending before the RTWPB.

The wage board in its meeting two weeks ago decided not to entertain the two wage hike petitions until the issue of whether or not a supervening condition exists will be resolved.

RTWPV-VII issued in September 2010 the latest wage order. Under the rules, wage boards are not allowed grant another increase within one year since the last wage order unless to a supervening condition is determined.

RTWPB chairman Exequiel Sarcauga and the two labor sector representatives already voted for the presence of supervening condition but the management sector representatives as well as that of the government sector prevailed.

One of the board’s labor representatives, Ernesto Carreon, said that the two government representatives to the board should have no voting power because the labor sector continues to be at the disadvantage with them having voting powers.

“Kanunay pilde gyud ang labor. But the problem is it is in the law that these three government representatives has the right to vote,” Carreon lamented. (FREEMAN)