P155 daily wage hike sought

CEBU, Philippines — Four labor groups filed a petition for a P155.80 increase in the daily wage for workers in Central Visayas before the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB)-7 yesterday.

The wage hike petitioners are the Cebu Labor Coalition (CLC), NLM-Katipunan, Metaphil Workers Union, and Unionbank Employees Association.

In their 10-page petition, the labor groups said there are supervening conditions “that warrant and justify a review of the wage structure and the issuance of a new wage order.”

Among the factors that the petition cited for the increase include the insufficient wage increases in the past, the reduction of the purchasing power of the peso, unstable oil prices, inflation rate, increase in the prices of basic commodities following the implementation of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (Train) Law, increase of the water and electricity rates, and the rise in school fees as a result of the implementation of the K to 12 program, among others.

"This new round of wage adjustment will provide the wage earners the necessary safety net from falling into the poverty mire and should be mandated and should be across the board," the petition reads.

The prevailing daily minimum wage in the region is 366.

Metudio Belarmino, spokesperson of CLC, said the minimum wage “does not even live up to the constitutionally guaranteed living wage.”

The 2015 Family Income and Expenditure Survey (FIES) of the Philippine Statistics Authority (formerly known as the National Statistics Office) showed that the average annual family income of Filipino families in Central Visayas was approximately P239,000, lower than the average annual family income in the whole Philippines at P267,000.

Even if the proposed increase will be approved, Belarmino said, it would still far below the National Economic and Development Authority’s determined living wage of P842 per day.

But they are hoping that the proposed wage hike will be approved by the wage board despite the prohibition that no wage increase petition shall be entertained within a year from the time the last wage hike was implemented

The last wage increase of P13 per day for all minimum wage earners in the region took effect on March 10, 2017.

Under the law, the wage board can grant a wage increase only after a year has lapsed since the last wage increase, unless there are supervening conditions that would warrant another increase before the one-year period ends.

Before any wage hike petition would be entertained, “supervening conditions” have to be declared first. The conditions include increases in the prices of fuel and basic commodities, cost of living, inflation rate, among others.

“The implementation of TRAIN law is more than enough proof to merit an increase in wages for workers in the region,” Belarmino said.

RTWPB-7 Chairman Cyril Ticao said he will convene the wage board on March 8 to tackle the wage hike petition. (FREEMAN)