MANILA, Philippines - A labor group official on Monday proposed to the government to use the excess 2014 budget to create a discount card for minimum wage earners who can use to pay groceries or their children's school tuition.
Gerard Seno Gerard Seno, executive vice president of Alliance of Labor Unions (ALU), also suggested that the Aquino administration can use the surplus budget this year to build a workers' call where local talents are trained and certified based on the needs of today’s domestic labor market.
ALU earlier lauded President Benigno Aquino III for expanding the amount coverage of the current de minimis benefits in the form of additional P10,000.
"President Aquino’s revision of the de minimis fringe benefits is just one indirectly small, positive step in giving back to workers who toiled hard to make Philippine economy grow and stay resilient under his administration. We want to see the president make a long-lasting and meaningfully impacting reward in spending 2014 excess annual budget for working Filipinos," Seno said.
Not subject to any tax, the de minimis benefits are privileges given by an employer to employees to promote the workers’ health, company goodwill and efficiency of employees.
Current de minimis coverage include P750 medical cash allowance to dependents, P1,500 for a 50kg rice subsidy, P4,000 uniform and clothing allowance per year, P10,000 for annual medical allowance, P300 laundry allowance, P10,000 for employees achievement award, P5,000 Christmas gifts and/or anniversary certificate and 25 percent meal allowance for overtime work and night shift in all regions.