Soccsksargen workers seek pay hike

MANILA, Philippines — As prices of essential commodities continue to rise, workers in Soccsksargen (South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos) are seeking an increase in their daily take-home pay.

Labor group Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) will file today a petition seeking to increase the prevailing P336 daily minimum wage in the region.

In a related development, the TUCP criticized the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the National Capital Region Wage Board (NCRWB) for not taking immediate action on the pending wage petition.

The TUCP said the NCRWB is insensitive to the plight of minimum wage earners, who are affected by rising prices of basic commodities.

DOLE-NCR regional director Sarah Mirasol earlier reported that the NCRWB might finish the consultations and deliberation on the wage petition on May 5.

“The TUCP is enraged at this business-as-usual, bureaucratic, time-consuming response of the wage board, which will further push down the workers who are trying to keep their heads above the rising waters of the higher and higher cost of living,” TUCP president Raymond Mendoza said.

Mendoza said the DOLE and the NCRWB were not serious about providing economic relief to minimum wage earners.

He described DOLE’s offer of a three-month wage subsidy as an attempt to stop plans of workers to protest the nationwide sub-poverty level minimum wage.