Long weekend, pay hike, and non-wage benefits unlikely on May 1, official says

Extended weekend, pay raises, and increased non-wage benefits are unlikely to be approved on May 1, the Philippines’ Labor Day, the Labor Secretary said on Tuesday. Labor Day will still be held on May 1, which falls on a Saturday, Labor Secretary Marianito Roque said. “It will remain to be that way. May 1 will be the holiday, on Saturday," he said, referring to a special presidential edict that has exempted Labor Day from holiday economics. Under Proclamation No. 1841 which covers holidays for this year, a non-working day is usually moved to the nearest Monday, giving the public a longer weekend. This is expected to encourage them to visit destinations out of town, thereby spurring tourism outside cities. However, Labor Day is exempted from the edict, entitled “Declaring the Regular Holidays, Special (Non-Working) Days and Special Holidays (for all Schools) for the Year 2010." It was issued on July 21, 2009. The President is expected to deliver her Labor Day message on the same day, which would also be marked by a mega-jobs and a livelihood fair, Roque added. Moreover, Roque said that it is unlikely that wage hikes will be granted before Labor Day this year. Wage increases are usually implemented after it is legislated or pending petitions for pay hikes are approved by the Regional Tripartite Wage Board. Currently, petitions for wage increases had been filed in about seven regions, mostly in the Visayas and Mindanao, but deliberations are ongoing and may not be passed before May 1. “There is no commitment as to when the exact date, as to the amount and what exactly would be the benefits. Let’s see how it will come out in the deliberations," he said adding that the first petitions were filed in Regions 6 (Western Visayas) and 7 (Central Visayas) so he expects the resolutions to be made their first. Roque said he remains unsure whether any new non-wage benefits will be announced on Saturday since the government has already granted a lot of labor benefits, from exempting minimum wage earners from income taxes to condoning loan penalties. On Tuesday afternoon, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Roque met with representatives of different labor groups over lunch in Malacanang. Among those present included representatives of the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines, the Unified Service Workers, and the Philippine Government Employees Association. Roque also said that anywhere from 60,000 to 80,000 jobs are available, including 18,000 vacancies in Metro Manila, in these job fairs which will be held at different SM Malls in the country. The government "is also stressing livelihood programs" for workers so that they will not be dependent on their salaries alone, Roque said. Besides providing livelihood training, the government will also award working capital to participants of the livelihood fair, allowing them to start-up small businesses. At least P200 million worth of funds have been allotted for the livelihood fair. It is expected to benefit some 2,000 labor groups. - RJAB Jr., GMANews.TV