DOLE opens talks on NCR wage hike

The steady rise in oil prices and the ballooning inflation are enough to justify a wage hike in the National Capital Region (NCR), the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said in a resolution Wednesday. “There is a need to review the current NCR minimum wage rates in consultation with labor management and other concerned sectors, in light of these continuing price increases," said the agency's NCR Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board in a two-page resolution. GMA News TV’s "Balitanghali" explained that the Wage Board, which enforced the last wage hike in July 2010, will conduct the review despite the one-year moratorium on such increases. The Board cited the oil price hikes and the rising inflation rate as “supervening events," the newscast said.
For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV Meanwhile, President Benigno Aquino III on Wednesday said some regional tripartite wage boards have started looking into the applications for wage increase. "In certain areas na nandoon na ang trigger point na 5 percent na inflation rate, nagkaroon na yata [where the 5 percent inflation rate has already been reached as trigger point], ... applications for wage [increases are already] being heard by the tripartite wage boards," he told reporters after attending the field training and live firing exercises for Balikatan 2011 and a dialogue with Filipino soldiers held in Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija. He did not provide other details. Workers’ group pleased Still in GMA News TV's "Balitanghali" newscast, an official of the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) said the group has expressed its pleasure at the development. TUCP director for education Rafael Mapalo also said the group has filed a wage hike petition in Region VI, and will file similar petitions in Regions III, VI-A, VII, and X.
For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV “Lahat po kasi ng mga manggagawa at mga pamilyang Pilipino ay apektado pagtaas ng presyo ng mga bilihin at saka services," Mapalo said. A special report by GMA newscast "Saksi" depicts the woes of a minimum wage earner with a monthly take home pay of P10,000.
For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV Rising oil prices, inflation The public bears the brunt of oil price hikes triggered by the continuing political unrest in the Middle East and North Africa. (See: FAO warns on oil price spikes as world food prices hit record) On the day of the Wage Board meeting itself, oil giants Chevron, Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp., Petron Corp., and Total Philippines implemented the 12th round of oil price hikes that brought the price of diesel to P46.45 to P49 a liter, and the price of gasoline to P53.60 and P60.81 a liter. Financial institutions project the country’s inflation to breach the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas target of 3 to 5 percent between 2011 and 2014. In March, for example, a Japanese investment bank projected the country’s inflation at 6.1 percent this year – or nearly twice the rate in 2010. — With Amita O. Legaspi/JV/VS, GMA News