Wage board to come up with wage-hike decision May 9

The regional wage board in the National Capital Region (NCR) is set to announce on May 9 its decision on petitions for a wage increase across the board, following a public hearing Monday. The board, however, refused to disclose the form and amount of the proposed wage increase, or the manner by which it will be incorporated in minimum wage earners' salaries. Raymundo Agravante, chairperson of the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB)-NCR said the final amount will be determined based on the proposed amounts by participating groups during the hearing. Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) reportedly petitioned a P75 wage increase, while some groups clamored for a P13.35 to P25 increase. "We need to consider all their sides (workers and employers) and study the result of this hearing," Agravante said in an interview after the hearing held at the Philippine Trade Training Center in Pasay City. "As directed by President Aquino, there will be an issuance of a wage increase decision," he added. TUCP legal counsel German Pascua Jr., meanwhile said that despite the group's petition of a P75 increase, they are amenable to at least a P40 across-the-board hike in wages. That, however, is where the group draws the line, he added. "We will not accept non-monetary benefits for minimum wage earners. We need a concrete wage increase to cope with the rising prices of commodities," said Pascua in an interview at the sidelines of the hearing. "If we cannot have a concrete salary adjustment then we will join the campaign to abolish regional wage boards and to go straight to Congress for a P125 across-the-board increase." Employers' groups — including the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers and Commerce Industry, Employers Confederation of the Philippines and the Philippine Exporters Confederation (Philexport) —meanwhile, registered their fervent opposition to the proposed wage increase. Philexport, in a letter to the regional wage board, said any wage increase will gravely impact the 1,000 exporters in the country, of which 96 percent are micro, small and medium enterprises. The group said a new round of minimum wage adjustment will cause job losses and may force some firms to go underground and be absorbed by the informal sector. The group further noted that the Philippines has the highest minimum wage in Southeast Asia, compared to neighboring countries like Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Shanghai and Bangkok. TUCP's Pascua, on the other hand, stressed the urgency of a wage increase for workers following the continued rise in prices of commodities, transportation, and basic services. President Aquino on Labor Day called for the speedy processing of wage hike petitions by regional wage boards, saying the move can ease the escalating tension between company managements and labor groups. Aquino said the government has also started processing the mid-year bonuses of government workers, and hinted on a salary increase for government workers in June. — JM/VS, GMA News