Labor: Don’t use calamities to stop wage hike

Members of the Regional Tripartite Wage and Productivity Board headed by chairperson Chona M. Mantilla, director of Dole-7. (Left-right) Labor reps Jose Tomongha and Ernesto Carreon; NEDA regional director Efren B. Carreon; Business reps Hidelito Pascual and Philip N. during the RTWPB wage public hearing at Sarrosa International Hotel. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)

Recent calamities should not be used as a reason to block wage hike petitions.

This was the message of the labor sector to  business groups opposing a  proposed mnimum wage hike during yesterday’s public hearing.

Several business chambers  citing the  7.2-magnitude earthquake last October 15 and supertyphoon Yolanda said increasing the minimum wage in Central Visayas now would be  untimely and counterproductive.

This stand was echoed by  exporters, hotels, manufacturers, the academe, hardware companies and sugar planters who are pushing for a wage hike moratorium.

The Coalition for Living Wage (CLW) filed in Sept.  27, 2013 a petition for a P132 daily wage adjustment while ALU-TUCP filed in October last year for an adjustment of P90 daily.

Ernesto Carreon, one of  two labor representatives in the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) 7 said the calamities, in fact, benefited business in Cebu.

Cebu, he said supplied rice, canned goods and other needs to earthquake-affected Bohol and to Yolanda-stricken Eastern Visayas.

BUSINESS VIABILITY

Philip Tan, president of the Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry who is one of two management sector representatives in the board, said the viability of business should be considered.

“Labor will have their own interest, management will always have our own interest also, but in the end, no one can survive alone. As  a rule, it is the survival between labor and management that will count”, Tan said.

The Philexport, Mactan Export Processing Zone Employers Confederation (Mepzem), Cebu and Mandaue business chambers, and the hotel industry also  opposed  the two petitions for wage increase.

While the Bogo Medellin Sugarcane Planters Association opposed the two petitions, it agreed to a five-percent across the board increase for all wage classifications.

Dodon Montesclaros of Mepzem gave  three reasons supporting a moratorium.

Mepzem has 140 companies and support groups  in Mactan, Cebu Business Park, Naga, Danao and Balamban with over 80,000 direct employees and 40,000 indirect employees.

“The survey of  30 countries on productivity of workers placed the Philippines  last. We are not only expensive, we are also least productive. And another survey of 143 countries ranked us 59th in terms of competitiveness”, Montesclaros said.

He said  quake and typhoon  forced their companies to stop operation for several days as suffer  brownouts brought by the power shortage after the typhoon.

CLW representative Metudio L. Belarmino said the minimum wage of  P327 in Metro Cebu is not enough for a family of six  which needs P867 daily to cover basic needs.

Wage board chairman and Department of Labor and Employment  Regional Director Chona M. Mantilla said the board will consider all  input from stakeholders  and come up with a decision that is best for both  labor and employers.