Labor rep to quit if board grants meager wage hike

CEBU, Philippines - The labor sector representative to the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB)-7 has promised to resign if the body only approves a small amount in wage adjustment.

Jose Tomongha, president of the Alliance of Progressive Labor (APL), accepted the challenge of Panaghi-usa sa mga Mamumuo sa Carmen Copper-Association of Genuine Labor president Antonio Cuizon that he step down if he cannot defend the rights of workers in the wage board.

“We urge you to resign og dili ka makadepensa sa mga (if you cannot fight for the) demands of the workers ngadto sa (in the) wage board,” said Cuizon.

In response, Tomongha promised if they only get a small amount from the RTWPB-7, he would step down as labor sector representative.

“I will resign kung gamay ra ang ihatag nga (if what would be given is only a small) adjustment sa (by the) wage board,” he said.

Michael Valle, APL-Cebu secretary-general, said in jest that Tomongha better bring his own food during wage hike deliberations and not eat the “lechon” prepared by the business sector representatives.

“Pagdala og puso ug buwad sa inyong (Bring hanging rice and dried fish during your) meeting. Ayaw kaon sa inasal nga hinatag sa (Do not eat the roasted pig given by the) business chamber,” said Valle.

The APL is calling for the abolition of the wage board, arguing that the three government representatives (DOLE, NEDA and DTI) always take the side of management, which is why Tomongha always get outvoted.

“Pirme gyud mi pildi inig (We lose during the) voting na kay kanang tulo ka (because the three) government representatives adto gyud na laban sa (favor the) management,” Tomongha lamented.

APL and its allied organizations sought a P121.85 increase in daily wage while the Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) requested P90 for all the workers in Region VII in 2012.

On December 7, 2012, the RTWPB-7 only granted a P27 increase for workers receiving minimum wage, which was P305 at that time.

The labor groups, who recently banded together to form the Living Wage Coalition-Cebu, will act as petitioner of the demand for new wage adjustment that would be filed today.

Labor unions initially planned to file the petition last Wednesday, but deferred it to today to wait for more labor organizations to sign it as part of the petitioners.

However, ALU-TUCP, the country’s biggest labor organization, is not joining the filing today. ALU-TUCP spokesperson Art Barrit said that they would file theirs only next month.

Metodio Belarmino, Cebu Labor Coalition spokesperson and the one who presented statistics to back up their demand, said their request would only raise the minimum wage of P327 to P459 per day in Metro Cebu.

According to his “rationale for the wage adjustment” presentation, P459 is still “far below NEDA’s determined living wage of P725 per day”.

Among the grounds cited as to how the group came up with the amount are insufficient wage increases in the past; reduction of the peso’s purchasing power;  inflation; and the rise of the price of oil, prices of basic commodities, tuition fee, power rates, and  cost of living.

The coalition argued that the yearly increase of prices of basic commodities has crippled the workers’ purchasing power, which is made worse by inflation and the shrinking value of the peso.

“These have eroded the real wages of workers, making it necessary to adjust the minimum wage to meet the basic needs of workers and their families. In real terms, the P327 minimum wage is only P241.98,” it said.  — /RHM (FREEMAN)