Labor sector in Central Visayas still hopeful for wage increase

The regional wage board will decide if there is a supervening event that will allow another round of minimum wage increase for labor employees. | INQUIRER FILE PHOTO 2019

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Labor groups in Central Visayas are still hopeful that their petition to implement a wage hike in the region will be granted.

This was the call of several officials of the Associated Labor Union-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) during a Labor Day rally they staged in Cebu City on Sunday, May 1. 

Lawyer Nora Analyn Demeterio-Diego, regional vice president of ALU-TUCP, said they hoped the government would accept their request to, even slightly, increase the daily minimum wage rate here. 

This was despite the decision from the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) in Metro Manila that junked their petition to give minimum wage earners a salary of at least P1,007 per day. 

“Base pud sa history nato, wala pa gyud na mahitabo nga bisan og katunga lang or one-fourth lang sa gipetition nga umento nga na approve sa RTWPB . But we are hoping nga bisan og gamay man lang nga naa pud gamay nga increase,” Demeterio-Diego said. 

(Base on our history, it had not happened that even half or one fourth of our petition for a wage hike was approved by the RTWPB. But we are hoping that there will be even just a small increase.)

According to Demeterio-Diego, they are set to attend the final round of public hearing for the petitions seeking to adjust the current minimum wage rate this Friday, May 6 in Cebu City. 

“I hope nga naglain laing sector mopresent sa ilang positions. Kay position sa mga empleyado nakita naman na nato kon giunsa na nga nagkalisod na gyud kaayo,” she added. 

(I hope that the different sectors will present their positions. Because the position of the employees of how difficult their lives are have already been seen by all.)

TUCP earlier filed its petition to modify the existing minimum wage in Central Visayas. They proposed the new rate to be at P834.

The current minimum wage rate in the region is P404. 

“For two years, nagmoratorium na ang sweldo. Wala gyud na moincrease tungod sa giagian nato nga pandemic. Nakasabot man ang mga empleyado ana nga niagi sad og kalisod sad ang mga employer, pero karon nibalik- balik naman… So if ni-recover na, kinahanglan pud nga mobalik na pud iapil sa recovery ang mga empleyado,” Demeterio-Diego pointed out. 

(For two years, there was a moratorium on the wage increase. There was no increase because of the pandemic. The employees understand that the employers also underwent challenges, but now that the economy is recovering…so if it is recovering, they need also to include in their recovery their employees.)

“For two years, nagantos ang mga empleyado and within that two years nagsige saka ang mga presyo, saka tanan palaliliton, pero ang sweldo nagpabilin. It’s about time nga paminawon ang mga empleyado, iuban nato sa progreso,” she added.

(For two years, the employees suffered and within that two years the prices of basic goods slowly increased, but the wages remained the same. It is about time that they will listen to the employees, and include them in the progress of things.)

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