Wage hike hearing set for August 19

CEBU, Philippines - The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board-7 yesterday decided there will only be one public hearing on the wage hike petitions, which will be held in Cebu.

Ernesto Carreon, one of the labor representatives of RTWPB said that it was agreed by the board that instead of conducting the public hearing in the four provinces of Central Visayas, there will only be one public hearing.

Carreon said that the representatives from Bohol, Siquijor, Negros Oriental and Cebu will have a consolidated public hearing at the Sarrosa Hotel at 1:30 p.m. on August 19, 2011.

RTWPB earlier declared that presence of "supervening conditions" and this was confirmed by the National Wages and Productivity Commission.

The declaration and confirmation of supervening conditions by the wage board justifies entertaining the two wage hike petitions filed by the Associated Labor Unions-Trade Congress of the Philippines and the Alliance of Progressive Labor.

ALU-TUCP have filed a P100 across-the-board daily wage hike for workers in Central Visayas, while the APL have likewise asked for a P120 across-the-board increase in daily wages. –(FREEMAN)