P20 wage hike for CV okayed

CEBU, Philippines - The good news – there will be a wage increase in Central Visayas.

The bad news for workers is that if the increase of the daily minimum wage is only P20 and not P100 as proposed by the labor groups.

This was decided upon by the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) after almost five hours of closed-door deliberations.

The increase will only take effect 15 days after the publication of the order on the four provinces of the region.

RTWPB Chairman Exequiel Sarcauga, who is also the acting regional director of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), said the increase will make the minimum wage P305 from the current P285.

The Association Labor Union-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) is asking for a P100 across-the-board daily minimum wage hike for workers in Central Visayas, while the Trade Union of the Philippines and Allied Services asked for a P120 across-the-board daily wage increase.

But ALU-TUCP legal chief Ernesto Carreon, one of labor representatives to the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board, expressed disappointment over the minimal salary hike.

“Gamay ra gyud,” Carreon said, adding that he along with Marianito Ventura of the Trade Union of the Philippines and Allied Services, representing the labor sector, exerted effort that their request will be granted, but they were out-voted.

The two voted against the P20 increase while four voted for it.

“Una P100, unya wala sila misugot so mi-reduce mi og P50, na-pilde gihapon mi sa vote. Mi-reduce nalang mi og P25 pero wala sab sila misugot, mao nga naabot sa P20. Wala gyud pakapin ug wala gyud ta’y mahimo kay inig gawas sa numero, mapilde man gyud ta,” Carreon said.

The RTWPB is composed of two labor representatives; lawyer Hidelito Pascual and businessman Charles Streegan, representing management; and Sarcauga of the Department of Labor and Employment, Acting director Efren Carreon of the National Economic and Development Authority and Director Asteria Caberte of the Department of Trade and Industry, representing government.

Ventura was disappointed when he went out of the room and refused to comment.

Sarcauga said, new indicators to be considered in the deliberation are gross regional domestic product, unemployment rate, employment rate and among others. He said that many companies will be closed down if they will not also consider their plight.

The biggest business group here, the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI), earlier said the rise of prices of basic commodities could be artificial and should be looked into deeper before any increase in daily wages is approved.

Streegan, on the other hand, said the wage hike may even cause some business closure and the layoff of some workers.

A wage order issued last September 2010 increased minimum wages in Central Visayas to range from P240 to P285.

However, Sarcauga said that private companies can still file their application if they cannot implement the P20 increase before the DOLE.

“Pwede pa sila dili mo-comply kung mo-file sila og application for exemption before DOLE pero kung ma-disapprove ilang application, nay retroactive na,” Sarcauga said.—/NLQ (FREEMAN)