DOLE: No labor wage hike on May 1

There won’t be any salary increase for Cebu’s workers before May 1, Labor Day.

In yesterday’s press conference, Labor and Employment Undersecretary Nicon Fameronag said the wage increase will only be granted to workers in Regions 2, 3, 4A, National Capital Region (NCR) and Aurora Region.

Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz confirmed this last April 25.

“The last wage order issued by the wage board was October 10 last year. So it has yet to turn one year this October 10,” Fameronag said.

Last October 10, 2015, the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) decided to integrate the P13 increase in the minimum wage for private sector workers in Metro Cebu.

Last week, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) asked for a P161 across-the-board daily wage increase for workers in Central Visayas.

DOLE Regional Director Exequiel Sarcauga, who chairs the wage board, said the board decided to start reviewing the data on the newest wage hike petition.

“Data from the Departments of Trade and Industry (DTI), Energy (DOE), Agriculture (DA) and other agencies  will be used by the wage board as basis on the economic conditions of our region,” he said.

But Sarcauga said the board will not wait for October to decide on the TUCP petition.