CEBU, Philippines - The Associated Labor Union-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines assured workers in Central Visayas that they will be able to come up with a reasonable and substantial amount for increase in wages when they file their petition.
ALU-TUCP spokesperson Art Barrit told The Freeman that the amount will be enough to cover the loss of the workers’ purchasing power.
Barrit said they are still making the computation based on the Consumer Price Index before they can come up with an exact amount in their petition.
Barrit said if not this month, they will file the petition in August this year.
Earlier, the labor group said that they see the need to increase the worker’s minimum wage as his or her “real wage†continue to devaluate.
On December 7, 2012, the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board-7 granted wage increase for workers in Central Visayas by P22 per day, making the current minimum wage of P327 per day.
Under the rules, wage boards are not allowed to adjust worker’s salaries for a year after the last increase unless they found a presence of “supervening conditionsâ€.
ALU-TUCP said that the P327 daily wage has a real value of only P216 per day due to various deductions such as premiums for Social Security Services, Philhealth, taxes, among others. — (FREEMAN)