Plan to file wage hike deferred

CEBU, Philippines - Initially expressing their intention to file for a wage hike earlier this month, the Alliance of Progressive Labor (APL) has deferred it until September 25 as they still have to gather more data to support their petition.

 APL chairman Jose Tomongha, who is also the labor representative of the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board-7, told The Freeman that they will ask for over a P100 across the board wage hike for all workers in Central Visayas.

Tomongha had cited increase in oil prices, decrease in the purchasing power as well as the increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

CPI is defined as an inflationary indicator that measures the change in the cost of a fixed basket of products and services, including housing, electricity, food, and transportation.

It was earlier indicated that the presence of a supervening condition has to be declared first by the RTWPB-7 as this would be the basis whether to grant any wage increase, considering that the board is barred from entertaining any wage hike petition as of the moment.

Without supervening conditions, wage boards are not allowed to adjust worker’s salaries for a year after the last increase, as stated in the rules. 

Meanwhile, the Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP), through its spokesperson Arturo Barrit, said that they are not joining the call for the resignation of Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz, until they are fully aware of the issues surrounding such call of other groups.

Baldoz was earlier criticized by several labor groups, who have called for her resignation, on the allegation that she is anti-labor.

This after the labor secretary announced a wage hike increase of P10 which has been granted among minimum wage earners.

The amount, however, was way below what was being asked among wage hike petitioners. Some labor groups have taken the approved P10 wage hike increase as ‘insulting’ while some considered it as a scam.

Partido ng Manggagawa (PM)-Cebu likewise supports their counterpart in Manila for the labor chief’s ouster. — (FREEMAN)