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July 24, 2020
Labor Group Urges the RTWPBs to Discuss the Increase in Daily Wage
BY: WILLIAM B. DEPASUPIL | NOVEMBER 17, 2022The organized labor has urged the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards (RTWPBs) to meet and consider the sector's demand for a fresh round of raises for daily wage earners in light of the escalating cost of essential goods and services.
The biggest labor union in the nation, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), issued the directive on Wednesday as the continuing effects of inflation impact the wage employees' buying power.
The organization emphasized that regional wage boards can initiate and expedite a review of the current minimum wage to assist Filipino workers and their families in navigating the world's crisis.
The TUCP Vice President Luis Coral stated, "We strongly encourage the wage boards to immediately convene and for the tripartite discussion to start as soon as possible. Regardless of a wage hike petition and in consideration of the mandate of no less than the DoLE Secretary, the wage boards could and should act on this subject immediately — motu proprio. Given the challenging circumstance, we are all in, we believe that the government, the companies, and the workforce are prepared to address the wage review."
"While we closely study and monitor the issue and the progress of the wage review, the TUCP also recommends policies and non-wage interventions to the economic managers that the government can consider to pursue and address the fundamental reasons for the surging inflation. Thus it will ensure that these potential wage adjustments will not be bad for the economy," he persisted.
The TUCP aims to submit a petition seeking at least a P750 living wage increase.
The Partido Manggagawa is trying to persuade Congress to pass legislation that could increase the minimum wage by P100 nationwide. It bases this figure on the 14-year-high rate of 7.7 percent inflation that was recorded in the previous month, which claims to reduce the buying power of a minimum-wage worker by P76. The workers and labor organizations have not yet submitted a formal petition for a pay raise to their various regional wage boards.
The Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board, which is led by Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma, asserted that the RTWPBs regularly monitors wage levels, evaluate economic factors, and make recommendations for changes to minimum wages throughout the nation along with the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and representatives from both the labor and employers' groups.
The National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) has just recently given an increase to all regions around the nation, according to Laguesma, and such cannot be changed within a year unless there is a significant reason.
Any Wage Order issued by the Board may not be disturbed within 12 months from its effective date and no petition for wage increase shall be entertained within the said period, unless a supervening condition such as an extraordinary increase in the price of petroleum products or other basic goods/services necessitates a review of minimum wage rates, as stated in Section 3, Rule IV of the National Wages and Productivity Commission Revised Rules of Procedure on Minimum Wage Fixing.
According to Laguesma, determining and altering the salary level is one of the most challenging aspects of establishing the minimum wage since it cannot be set too high or too low since these extremes will harm employment.
He continued by saying that two sets of factors needed to be balanced.
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