Labor group expects P20 wage hike for Cebu

CEBU, Philippines — Labor group Partido Mangagawa believes that Cebu may only get a measly P20 wage increase.

PM-Cebu spokesperson Dennis Derige thought of P20 as possible increase to be granted by the Regional Tripartite Wage and Productivity Board (RTWPB) for workers in Cebu after the Metro Manila wage board only granted P35.

“Siguro Cebu will get only twenty,” says Derige.

Earlier, RTWPB -7 chairperson Lilia Estillore said that a wage increase is likely to come by October this year. She did not say how much because the amount is still to be determined by the board after a series of public hearing.

With the little amount granted in Metro Manila, PM said that the regional wage board has lost its credibility as a mechanism and authority on wage matters. The labor group believes that it is about time to reform the “archaic” law the established the wage board and leave the matter of fixing the minimum wage to congress.

They urged the president to address the wage issue in his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) or else it would become clearer that the entire government is working against the interest of the laborers.

“As expected, the regional wage boards are patently inutile and unreliable. Over the past three decades, their expertise has been to conduct superficial hearings and issue token wage increases. Patunay ang ?35 bilang barya-baryang wage hike mula sa kunwa-kunwaring hearing sa nakalipas na 35 years,” PM said.

To recall, PM called for the resignation of Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma primarily because of his obstinate stand against the proposed legislated wage hike.

“His strong opposition against this proposal, despite the regional wage boards’ failure to raise wages beyond the poverty threshold and to narrow down the gap between the minimum wage and living wage during the last 35 years, lay bare all the pretensions about the protection of labor rights and the government’s pledge to raise the Filipino families’ standard of living,” PM said.

PM added that by speaking against legislating wages, Laguesma dropped the workers in favor of employers.

“We want him out of DOLE for he will never represent the working class. His background speaks more of him dealing with and lawyering for corporate owners aside from being one of the richest and highest paid officials in the Marcos Cabinet,” the group added. — (FREEMAN)