ECOP members favor granting P50 daily allowance to workers

Employers would rather grant workers a P50 daily allowance than give in to their demand for a P125 increase in the daily minimum wage.

Donald Dee, president of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP), said yesterday they will encourage the giving of emergency relief allowance to workers in small and medium enterprises .

"The employers, particularly those from small and medium enterprises favor the relief allowance," he said. "In fact, big companies are already providing their workers allowance."

However, Dee said workers will be granted the allowance based on a decision of the various regional wages and productivity boards and the financial capability of a company.

Dee said ECOP member companies are ready to give their employees emergency relief allowance to allow them to cope with the rising cost of basic commodities.

"We prefer the granting of P50 relief allowance rather than the P125 across-the-board increase," he said.

In her State of the Nation Address before a joint session of Congress Monday, President Arroyo urged employers to provide their workers economic relief while awaiting a wage hike.

Mrs. Arroyo made the appeal on the recommendation of Labor and Employment Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas and the Labor Solidarity Movement, the country’s largest federation of labor unions.

On the other hand, Kilusang Mayo Uno chairman Crispin Beltran said yesterday they welcome the ECOP action but will still press for a P125 across-the-board increase in salaries.

"Workers are not in a position to reject the offer," he said. "It may not be a product of our will but it’s a matter of life and death for us."