Labor coalition mulls wage hike petition

CEBU, Philippines - Amidst the rising cost of basic commodities, the Cebu Labor Coalition headed by the Alliance of Progressive Labor is contemplating to file a wage hike petition within the first quarter of the year.

APL chairman Jose Tomongha however said they have yet to compute the exact amount of increase that they will be asking from the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board.

Tomongha said the recent oil price hikes caused domino effects on the prices of basic commodities as well as on the purchasing power of the workers’ wages.

The coalition filed a wage petition in 2009 seeking for P128.60 across the board wage increase for Central Visayas. The Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines on the other hand asked for P100 increase.

The RTWP granted an increase last year but only P18 per day for minimum wage earners. 

The minimal increase granted by the RTWPB was slammed by militant party-list group Partido ng Manggagawa. They branded the increase as a "loose change" and called for the abolition of wage boards for "betraying the working class."

According to them, the increase was not even enough to buy a kilo of commercial rice or even the cheapest NFA rice. – THE FREEMAN