Employers urged: Comply with new Central Visayas wage rates

CEBU, Philippines — The Department of Labor and Employment-7 has urged employers in Central Visayas to comply with the new minimum wage rates for their workers.

DOLE-7 Undersecretary and DOLE-7 Concurrent Regional Director Victor A. Del Rosario said that it is imperative for the employers and workers to be fully aware of their rights and responsibilities in relation to the new wage orders.

“We are enjoining all employers to abide by the labor laws particularly on the new wage rates applicable in Central Visayas. Workers and employers’ organizations can also help disseminate information on minimum wages to their members and provide related advice and support,” said del Rosario in a statement.

Last June 14, the two new wage orders, Wage Order No. ROVII-23 for Private Workers and Wage Order No. ROVII-D.W. No. 03 for Domestic Workers went into effect.

Under Wage Order No. ROVII-23 for private workers, workers in the non-agriculture classification specifically those in the Class A cities and municipalities or the Expanded Metro Cebu area will receive P435.00 daily. Those in Class B Cities and municipalities shall be paid with P397 daily while the minimum earners in Class C municipalities will receive P387 per day.

In the agriculture and non-agriculture with less than 10 workers classifications, those working in areas falling under Class A cities and municipalities will be paid P425 daily. Those in Class B areas shall receive P392 daily. Those working in Class C localities, on the other hand, will get P382 daily wage.

Wage Order No. ROVII-D.W.03 for domestic workers provides a P500 increase in their existing monthly wage.

Kasahambahays working in chartered cities and first class municipalities will be paid P5,500 per month whilethose working in other municipalities, they will receive P4,500 per month.

“We want to empower workers to claim their rights. In the same way, we want the employers to also fully grasp the application of the new minimum wage rates and the computations needed should there be any wage distortions emerging in the workplace. That is why, a heightened awareness on this development is highly essential,” del Rosario added.

He also encouraged workers and employers to connect with the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board-7 for clarifications on the new wage orders most especially on wage distortions.

Wage distortions, del Rosario said is an occurrences when the usual differentials in wage rates between groups of employees in an establishment are drastically reduced or eliminated due to mandated wage increases.

He said with the RTWPB being a tripartite body, a participative process of minimum wage fixing was ensured allowing the minimum wage to be set at a level agreed to by workers and employers’ representatives.

“This has given the new minimum rates more legitimacy and with that, we are fervently hoping for our social partners to also help facilitate compliance,” del Rosario added.

DOLE-7 will continue to conduct an inspection as a way of checking the compliance of establishments.

“Let us remember that high rates of non-compliance have negative consequences not only for workers and their families, whose rights are violated, but also for compliant employers, as it gives non-compliant enterprises an illegitimate cost advantage,” del Rosario further said.

DOLE-7 also said that workers who are paid below the set minimum wage rates may report to the DOLE Office in their area. — LPM (FREEMAN)