New wage hike starts next month

CEBU, Philippines - Minimum wage earners and domestic helpers in Central Visayas may see an increase in their salary by March.

This as the Regional Tripartite Wage and Productivity Board-7 issued a new wage order mandating a P13 daily wage increase for minimum wage earners and a P1,000 minimum monthly salary for domestic helpers in Central Visayas.

Jose Tomongha, one of the labor representatives to the wage board, said Wage Order Number 20 has been forwarded to the National Wage and Productivity Board for review.

"Gipadala naman sa NWPB ang new wage order for review. Unya mapadala tingali to og balik next week. Then the order will be published in a newspaper of general circulation and the order will take effect 15 days after publication. Maybe first week of March, ma-implement na ang bag-ong wage order," Tomongha said.

Militant groups, however, are dismayed by the decision, describing it as just a pittance.

“Panahon na gyud wagtangon ni ang RTWPBs kay wala na kini nagsilbi sa kaayuhan sa mga laborers,” said Dennis Derige, spokesperson of Partido ng Manggagawa-Cebu.

Derige said extreme leftist and leftist labor groups, together with the Kilusang Mayo-Uno, Bayan, and other groups will join forces in launching a National Day of Protest to show their disgust against all RTWPBs nationwide, including the Department of Labor and Employment.

Derige added that labor leaders are slated to have a dialogue with President Rodrigo Duterte within the month to discuss the issue on wages and contractualization.

Metudio Belarmino, spokesperson of the Cebu Labor Coalition, said they may take legal action to stop the implementation of the new wage order or may organize strikes or mass actions.

Earlier, Melanie Ng, president of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI), said the chamber believes that the P13 daily minimum wage increase for workers in Central Visayas is at the higher end of their computation.

Ng said the Cebu business community will comply with the agreements reached, notwithstanding the possible effects these will have to businesses, including closure, unemployment, price inflation, loan defaults, loss of investment/s and further losses of the stock exchange, as well value of the Philippine peso.

"Nonetheless, CCCI will remain to be a firm crusader of comparable labor rates with that of our ASEAN neighbors," she said.

Currently, Region 7 observes the following daily minimum wage rates:

* P353.00 for Class A cities and municipalities involving the cities l of Carcar, Cebu, Danao, Lapu-Lapu, Mandaue, Naga, Talisay and the municipalities  of

Compostela, Consolacion, Cordova, Lilo-an, Minglanilla, and San Fernando;

*P320.00 for Class B cities and municipalities covering the cities of Toledo, Bogo and the rest of the municipalities in Cebu Province except the Bantayan and Camotes Islands;

*P310.00 for the Class C cities and municipalities in Bohol and Negros Oriental Province;

*P295.00 for the Class D in the municipalities of Siquijor Province and the municipalities in Bantayan and Camotes Islands. — /JMO (FREEMAN)