Insulting increase

The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines recently said that the ?42 wage increase is insulting to the working class. Several labor groups also shared the same sentiment, adding how only a few pesos would be added to the daily wage. I feel for them. It is true; it cannot even be enough for a decent meal.

Statistics show us that the inflation rate in Cebu is not ideal. Prices of basic commodities continue to skyrocket. Forty-two pesos might buy you a few pieces of bread, or perhaps a few items from the neighborhood sari-sari store, but it would really be difficult to help with the rising cost of living. If we translate this to a U.S. dollar, the increase is less than a dollar.

For workers who already have to stretch every peso, an increase that sounds substantial on paper can feel almost meaningless in practice. There is something almost insulting about being asked to celebrate a wage increase when the prices of the things we need every day continue to climb. This is what makes the issue more painful because a wage increase is supposed to mean relief. It should mean that after working hard for another day, there is a little more left for the family.

The commissioners should have thought about the workers who leave home before sunrise and return long after dark. While we understand that they are also factoring in the burden that businesses will have to cover, there must be a way to make both interests meet. Businesses will always question productivity, inflation, employment, and the capacity of employers to absorb higher labor costs. It is always a constant struggle.

The word "insulting" continues to resonate. A wage increase should not merely look good in a press release but should be felt at the dinner table. This is where the real measure of a wage increase should be. A few extra pesos can matter, especially when you have almost nothing left, but there is a difference between an increase that technically adds to one's income and an increase that actually improves one's quality of life.

I am no economist, and I understand that setting wages is not as simple as choosing a number that sounds generous. Businesses have employees to pay, bills to settle, and operations to sustain. If labor costs rise without considering the capacity of businesses, there can be consequences that eventually affect workers, too.

It would have been ideal to push for a living wage that cuts across the board. I don’t think it is ideal to keep on using geography as a basis for wages. The prices are more or less similar. A fair wage would benefit more than the released 300,000 workers.

At the end of the day, workers are not asking for luxury. They are asking for enough to get through the day without constantly worrying about what they can no longer afford. That should not be too much to ask from a society that depends on their labor every day.