MANILA, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / 07 Aug) - The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) on Tuesday said it will appeal for a wage increase that is "substantially higher" than the P12 approved by the Metro Manila wage board.
"There is no question about this. We will definitely mount a vigorous appeal," TUCP spokesperson Alex Aguilar said in a statement sent to the Mindanao Examiner.
Aguilar said that under the law, any increase sanctioned by a regional board may, upon appeal, be augmented by the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC).
The NWPC is composed of the Secretary of Labor and Employment, as ex-officio chair; the director-general of the National Economic and Development Authority, as ex-officio vice chair; two representatives each from the labor and employer sectors; and the commission's executive director.
"The P12-adjustment is ridiculously low and grossly inadequate," Aguilar said.
"We expected much more, considering we petitioned for no less than P75. The P12-increase will not extend workers any material relief," he added.
The regional board authorized a P12-increase in the statutory minimum wage for workers in the National Capital Region, effective after the publication of the new wage order.
The board also ordered the full integration of the existing P50 daily cost-of-living allowance (COLA) with the prevailing P300-minimum wage.This effectively raises the compulsory minimum wage to P362, to include the P12-increase.
The integration of the P50 daily COLA means that the amount, going forward, would be factored into the computation of other mandatory monetary benefits, such as overtime pay and the 13-month pay, receivable by workers.
Showing posts with label Wage Hike. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wage Hike. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Can You Live On P266 A Day? Labor Leader Asks NSCB
QUEZON CITY - "He is out of touch with reality, charlatan of false information and insensitive to the worsening plight of ordinary Filipinos."
This was the dig of the Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) Labor Center to therecent announcement of National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB)Secretary General Romulo Virola that a family of five can survive on P266 a day.
"We challenge Mr. Virola to reduce his pay to P266 a day for a wholemonth and try to feed his family with that measly amount. We would evengo with him to the market and see how things work out," Nenita Gonzaga, Secretary of the KMU Women’s Department, said in a statement sent Wednesday to the independent newspaper Mindanao Examiner.
According to Gonzaga, the P266 a day is a far cry from the Family Living Wage of P749 a day as declared by the NSCB in May 2006.
"Because of the strong clamor for a substantial wage hike among Filipinos, Mr. Virola tries to insinuate that such demand for workers have no actualbasis. To further discredit the demand of the workers, they reduced the amount supposedly needed by shifting from their usual family of six computations and reduced it to five, thus reducing it by P53.20."
Poverty among Filipinos is so high that 2006 estimates of the Department of Health stated that 3 out of 10 Filipino children aged 6-10 are malnourished.
"The DOH acknowledged in 2006 that 100 Filipino children go blind weekly due to sickness attributed to poverty and now he has the guts to tell us to feed our families with just P 204 per day," said Gonzaga.
Gonzaga said instead of providing possible and doable solutions to the worsening hunger among Filipino, "the NSCB would rather tell us that we are not poor because we get to earn at least their prescribed amount."
She said: "Statistical manipulation cannot dictate on our stomach to feel full when it is actually empty. What we need now is a P125 across-the-board increase to provide a relief to the poor families."
This was the dig of the Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) Labor Center to therecent announcement of National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB)Secretary General Romulo Virola that a family of five can survive on P266 a day.
"We challenge Mr. Virola to reduce his pay to P266 a day for a wholemonth and try to feed his family with that measly amount. We would evengo with him to the market and see how things work out," Nenita Gonzaga, Secretary of the KMU Women’s Department, said in a statement sent Wednesday to the independent newspaper Mindanao Examiner.
According to Gonzaga, the P266 a day is a far cry from the Family Living Wage of P749 a day as declared by the NSCB in May 2006.
"Because of the strong clamor for a substantial wage hike among Filipinos, Mr. Virola tries to insinuate that such demand for workers have no actualbasis. To further discredit the demand of the workers, they reduced the amount supposedly needed by shifting from their usual family of six computations and reduced it to five, thus reducing it by P53.20."
Poverty among Filipinos is so high that 2006 estimates of the Department of Health stated that 3 out of 10 Filipino children aged 6-10 are malnourished.
"The DOH acknowledged in 2006 that 100 Filipino children go blind weekly due to sickness attributed to poverty and now he has the guts to tell us to feed our families with just P 204 per day," said Gonzaga.
Gonzaga said instead of providing possible and doable solutions to the worsening hunger among Filipino, "the NSCB would rather tell us that we are not poor because we get to earn at least their prescribed amount."
She said: "Statistical manipulation cannot dictate on our stomach to feel full when it is actually empty. What we need now is a P125 across-the-board increase to provide a relief to the poor families."
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Mindanao Business Council Thumbs Down Proposed Wage Hike Law
ZAMBOANGA CITY (Mindanao Examiner / 06 Feb) – The Mindanao Business Council thumbed down a proposed law that would provide a nationwide P125 across-the-board salary increase.
In a position paper, the MBC -- an umbrella organization of business chambers in Mindanao -- said that the impending wage-hike bill is untimely and highly politically motivated as national elections are nearing.
Filipinos are to elect their representatives to the Senate, Congress and local positions in May.
The MBC said such proposal, if approved by Senate, would severely affect country's economy.
"While the legislated wage increase is untimely and damaging to the positive economic outlook of the country, it may be otherwise for the Congress which motioned for its approval.”
“This move of the House of Representatives is a bit highly suspicious considering that the May 2007 election is just around the corner. The Congress' timely approval may be seen as a 'face-saving gesture' to court public confidence," the MBC position paper said.
"Things would be much bleaker for us Mindanaoans, who rely heavily on our micro, small and medium enterprises. We would surely lag behind in the aspect of competitiveness and a great deal of investments for Mindanao will be lost," it said.
The MBC said the passage of the House Bill 345, authored by Zamboanga del Norte Rep. Roseller Barinaga, chairperson of the Committee on Labor and Employment, seeks the implementation of the wage hike over a period of three years would render the creation of the regional tripartite wages and productivity board as useless.
The regional wage board, created by Congress, is tasked to fix minimum wages based on objective criteria and standards.
"The Congress' move unabashedly takes away the task of determining theappropriate wage in a particular region, which is already delegated tothe Regional Board.”
“The Boards are more familiar with the existing local labor and economic conditions thus have far more competency in determining the minimum wage in their respective region. Clearly, the economic conditions and standard of living are differentfor each region," the paper said.
The Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry said the proposed wage hike is more of a political decision which will not be beneficial to both the business and labor sectors.
“The move of the Congress undermines the right of the management and labor to agree on a reasonable minimum wage.
Similarly, the General Santos City Chamber of Commerce and Industry labeled such move as “grandstanding act by some member of the Congress”.
It said a huge portion of small and medium industries cannot even implement last year's round of wage increases.
Business leaders in Zamboanga Peninsula also expressed the same sentiments saying that many business establishments may force to lay-off its employees and laborers due to high cost of operation.
"With the grim scenario at hand, the Mindanao business community strongly urges the Senate to consider the socio-economic repercussions that the legislated wage increases will bring about.”
“Further, the Mindanao business community, headed by the Mindanao Business Council and its affiliate chambers and industry association call for strengthening of the regional wage board and undertake measures to ensure that these boards become more competent and effective in formulating a just increase for each region," they said.
But the labor sector said the wage hike is long over due and important to cushion the rising cost of basic commodities, among others. Militant labor groups also accused employers of union busting and unfair labor practice. It said many employees were underpaid and worked without overtime payments. (Darwin Wee, with a report from Juan Magtanggol)
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