Private sector workers may enjoy pay hike after wage review

Employees from the private sector may soon enjoy salary increases, as the tripartite boards reviewing the wage structure are expected to arrive at a decision within the week. The wage board in Metro Manila is already deliberating on pending wage hike petitions and is expected to come up with decision this week, deputy presidential spokesperson Rogelio Peyuan said, quoting the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC). “Hopefully before the end of the week," Peyuan said, when asked when the decision would come out. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo earlier ordered the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards to expedite resolving the P75 across-the-board wage hike for employees from the private sector, Peyuan said. The President's directive came in response to various calls by the labor sector — highlighted by demonstrations during Labor Day last May 1 — to jack up the basic salary of employees, especially minimum wage earners. Unlike private employees, government workers are currently assured of yearly salary increases until 2012, pursuant to the Salary Standardization Law. Despite Malacañang's assurance, the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) admitted on Tuesday its member-companies are not yet prepared to give out salary increases to their employees. ECOP president Ed Lacson said their companies have yet to recover from the brunt caused by the global economic crisis that peaked last year. ECOP is more open to exerting efforts to provide jobs to almost 10 million jobless Filipinos than hiking their workers' wages. Member-companies might find difficulty abiding by any wage hike order since 95 percent of them fall under small and medium enterprises. But Lacson admitted the government will eventually have the last say on the matter, and that ECOP will have to follow the NWPC. - MDM, RJAB Jr., GMANews.TV