Metro workers reject P10 wage hike

The Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) lashed out yesterday at Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Donald Dee whom the militant labor union accused of saying that any wage increase would not exceed P70.

"Insulto talaga sa mga obrero ang pahayag ni Dee, lalo’t lingguhan na ang pagtaas ng presyo ng produktong petrolyo at hindi totoong walang epekto ang pagtaas nito sa presyo ng pangunahing bilihin (Dee’s statement is really an insult to the workers, especially with the weekly hike in the prices of petroleum products, and it’s not true that price increases have not affected the prices of prime commodities)," KMU spokesman Prestoline Suyat said in a statement.

Suyat said the P10 wage hike, which employers are ready to give, cannot buy a can of sardines, which now costs a minimum of about P11-P13.

"The amount may only buy an egg and a pack of instant noodles," he said.

Suyat said that the purchasing power of minimum wage earners is getting smaller by the day as prices of gasoline have already increased 12 times this year, while diesel prices have gone up nine times.

"Ito ba ang sinasabing makabuluhang dagdag-sahod na pantapat ng mga employers sa P125 kahilingan ng mga manggagawa (Is this the salary increase that employers would match the P125 demand of workers)?" he asked.

"Ni hindi pa kasya ang P10 na pambili ng isang kilo ng pinakamababang klase ng bigas na NFA (The P10 is not even enough to buy a kilo of the lowest quality NFA rice)."

Suyat expressed apprehension that wage hikes outside Metro Manila may be lower than P10, and that this will not be enough in the face of rising prices.

The average take-home pay of workers in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao alone only amounts to P180-P170 minimum wage plus a P10 emergency cost of living allowance, he added.

The daily cost of living in the region for a family of six reaches P872, Suyat said. — James Mananghaya