Congress push for equal nationwide wage hike mulled

LABOR groups are planning to file an equal minimum wage increase nationwide.

Dennis Derige, spokesperson of the Partido Manggagawa (PM) Cebu said they are seeking for minimum wage increase for all minimum earners in the country, due to the ill effects of the implementation of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law.

“Considering sa effect sa Train, kinahanglan nga ang increasemahitabo kay (the increase should be) across-the-board and nationwide,” he told Cebu Daily News in a phone interview.

Though there is no final amount on how much would be the proposed national legislated wage increase, Derige said that all labor groups under the Nagkaisa Labor Coalition are on an ongoing meeting about the petition.

“Nagsugod na sila og discuss kon pila ug kanus-a i-file (They are already discussing about the petition on how much we should seek and when to file it to Congress),” he said.

Derige said that once they would come up with the agreed minimum wage for all, their national leaders would file the petition before Congress.

“Sa Congress na namo siya i-file kay wala nami salig sa RTWPB (Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board 7). Ang among panawagan kay bungkagon ug sigurado mi baratohon ra og hatag (We will file it before the Congress because we no longer trust the RTWPB. We have sought for an increase before, but they only gave us a little increase),” he said.

He cited the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP)’s petition seeking for a P161 across-the-board daily wage increase two years ago.
He said that the wage board only approved a P13 wage increase.

“Unfair kaayo ang RTWPB kay perming maalkanse ang workers ug permi tang ma-outvote o mapilde sa botohan,” he said.

While labor group AMA Sugbo KMU is also seeking for a national minimum wage of P750.

Jaime Paglinawan, chairman of AMA Sugbo KMU said they based the proposed amount on living wage conditions of a family having at least six members.

He emphasized that minimum earners in Metro Cebu who received a daily pay of P366, would not have enough to sustain their family’s everyday needs.

“Kulang ra gani sa kaon, kuhaan pa gyod og (It is barely enough for food and there are also the) deductions,” Paglinawan said in a text message.

Aside from deductions from the Social Security System (SSS) and Philhealth, he said workers would have to budget their transportation cost, electricity bills, rent, water supply and tuition for students they are supporting.

Paglinawan said they have already agreed with the National Council, but they are still waiting on who would sponsor the House bill and Senate bill to make P750 as the national minimum wage.

Last Wednesday, Labor groups including those from the Cebu Labor Coalition (CELAC) and Lonbisco Employees Organization (LEO) filed for a P155.80 wage increase petition at the wage board office.

Department of Labor and Employment in Central Visayas (DOLE-7) Cyril Ticao said he would be meeting with the wage board to discuss the regional wage increase petition on March 8.