Labor groups meet this week to discuss wage hike petition

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu’s labor leaders will meet within the week to settle the issue on whether or not there are “supervening conditions” that would merit the petition to increase wage in Central Visayas.

Jose Tomongha, spokesperson of the Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa, said they would make sure to identify the supervening conditions before finalizing by how much they want daily wage to increase.

Earlier, the Coalition for Living Wage (CLW) “resurrected” it plan to file another round of wage increase after deferring it last month.  Initially, the group said it may file a P147-daily wage increase for all workers in Region VII.

Tomongha said they may no longer wait for the end of the one-year ban before another wage adjustment petition would be filed.

Under Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board rules, it is not allowed to adjust worker’s salaries within a year after the last increase, unless there is the presence of “supervening condition.”

RTWPB-7 granted a P13-per-day Cost of Living Allowance increase for workers receiving the minimum wage in Central Visayas last February 14; it took effect on March 21 under Wage Order Number 18, which will be subjected to a review on September 21.

“Mao nang magmiting gyud mi kay mura og di na mi makapaabot anang (We are meeting because we cannot wait for) September 21,” Tomongha said.

CLW, which is composed of 40 different labor unions and organizations, have filed a P132-per-day wage increase in September 2013.  The Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines, on the other hand, had asked for an increase of P90 a day for all workers in Central Visayas last November.  (FREEMAN)