ECOP stand on wage hike rejected

Militant labor groups rejected yesterday businessmen’s claims that their demand for a P125 wage increase would lead to a "massive" retrenchment of workers and price increases.

"The chronic unemployment crisis must not be used as a pretense against the workers’ demand for wage hikes," Elmer Labog, secretary general of the left-leaning Kilusang Mayo Uno, said in a statement.

The other day, Donald Dee, president of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP), said a wage increase would hurt small- and medium-scale businesses as well as "push up the cost of goods from anywhere between five and 15 percent."

"I hope the labor sector looks at realities. The small and medium enterprises were not able to implement the last wage increase because of (economic) difficulties," he said.

Victor Briz, chairman of the Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino, called Dee a "terrorist" for opposing a wage increase. He said the "worst kinds of terror are those driven by selfish economic motives." — With Sandy Araneta, Romel Bagares