P6k minimum wage increase for govt workers sought

Senator Ramon Bong Revilla has filed a bill that aims to increase the minimum pay of government employees by P6,000. Senate Bill 2928 or the Minimum Pay Act of 2011 seeks to grant a P6,000 increase in the minimum pay of employees in all national government agencies, government owned and controlled corporations, government financial institutions, state universities and colleges, and local government units. "While executives and top officials of the government are enjoying various perks and privileges, oftentimes even unconscionable, the employees who are at the frontline of delivering services to the public, are living in abject poverty. This bill seeks to address this inequality through providing a substantial salary increase, and in the process, bring employees closer to the State's assurance of a decent wage," Revilla said in his explanatory note. SB 2928, however, says that no salary increase shall be credited unless expressly provided under a valid collective negotiations agreement. It likewise says that existing allowances and benefits of employees shall not be reduced despite the wage increase. Under the measure, the Department of Budget and Management shall be required to consult with government employees regarding the necessary rules and regulations to implement the act. Revilla said that the government's estimated cost of living is 28,710 per month. However, he said that a government employee with the compensation of Salary Grade 1 Step 1 only receives P6,861.00 per month. He likewise said that even with the full implementation of the Salary Standardization Law 3, a government employee's minimum wage shall only be P9,000. Last year, Revilla and Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada also filed bills seeking a P125 daily across-the-board wage increase for workers in the private sector. The bills are pending before the committee level. — Kim Tan/RSJ, GMA News