CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu Labor Coalition (CLC) has asked the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board in Central Visayas (RTWPB) for a P361.50 wage adjustment on top of the present P386-daily minimum wage.
CLC filed the petition before RTWPB-7 on Thursday, May 2, or a day after the observance of the International Labor Day.
Jose Tomongha, one of the representatives of the Labor Sector in the wage board, said that the labor group cited the surge in oil prices and basic commodities as grounds for the wage hike petition.
“Base sa ilang gi-file nga petition, tulo ka factors ang ilang gitan-aw: una, ang pagsaka sa presyo sa lana; ikaduha, pagsaka sa basic commodities; ug ikatulo, niubos ang purchasing power sa suholan sa mga trabahante,” Tomongha told CDN Digital.
(They cited three factors in their petition: 1.) increase of fuel prices; 2.) increase in the prices of basic commodities; and 3.) the diminishing purchasing power of the labor force.)
Tomongha said that the wage board would still evaluate the factors cited and weigh it if it would constitute the supervening condition requirement before acting on the petition.
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The RTWPB-7 is headed by the Department of Labor and Employment in Central Visayas (DOLE-7) Regional Director Salome Siaton. Department of Trade and Industry (DTI-7) Regional Director Asteria Caberte and National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA-7) Regional Director Efren Carreon are vice chairmen of the wage board.
The labor and employers’ sector are entitled to two representatives in the wage board.
“Among tan-awon kung duna bay supervening conditions kay atong sabton ang balaod. Dili man makaduso og petition ang bisan unsa nga labor group basta dili pa moabot og usa ka tuig sukad sa paggawas sa last nga wage order,” Tomongha explained.
(We will determine if there are supervening conditions that will merit a wage hike because under the law, labor groups are not allowed to file a wage hike petition within a year since the release of the last wage order.)
Read more: Minimum wage in Central Visayas to be adjusted in August
In August 2018, RTWPB-7 approved a P20 wage adjustment placing the daily minimum wage at P386 from previously at PP366.
Tomongha, however, said that they could not speak at the moment if the P361.50 proposed adjustment would be feasible.
“Amo pa nag tan-awon ang living condition sa mga workers. Among tan-awon kung pila nag kuwang sa ilang suholan karon. Dili mi mohatag og amount hangtod makahibaw mi kun duna bay capacity nga mobayad ang mga employer,” Tomongha said.
(We will evaluate the living conditions of the workers, and see how much does their salary lack. We cannot provide the amount of the adjustment unless we find out that the employers are capable of paying for it.)/dbs