CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu Labor Coalition is expected to file tomorrow before the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board-7 a petition for a P145.10 increase in the daily wage for workers in Central Visayas.
The coalition’s spokesperson, Metudio Belarmino, Jr., said prices of basic commodities have soared high, crippling the purchasing power of the workers, worsening the inflation rate and shrinking value of the peso.
"Ang value karon sa P1 kay P0.66 nalang. Nisaka na pud ang Consumer Price Index based on the July data pa na," Belarmino said.
Belarmino also cited the rise in the prices of fuel at least eight times, which, he said, will result to an increase in the fare in jeepneys.
Belarmino hopes RTWPB-7 will consider the petition despite the last wage hike in Central Visayas implemented only last March. At that time, RTWPB approved a P13 increase in wage per day for minimum wage earners.
The board is not supposed to implement a wage increase within a year after the last increase unless there are supervening conditions. These supervening conditions include, among others, increases in the price of fuel and basic commodities, cost of living, and inflation rate.
Belarmino said that based on their computation, the presence of supervening conditions is very clear.
"Ni-mahal na ang presyo sa lana ingon man sa bugas ug uban pang mga basic commodities," he said.
Glenn Soco, president of the Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the business sector will have a difficult time absorbing the planned wage hike petition, which may result to job losses.
"We need a more realistic and practical proposal from our labor sector," Soco said.
He said the Philippines is considered to be one of the most expensive places to do business in Asia.
"We have to remain competitive to achieve our growth targets, which will eventually redound to better wages, income and opportunities for our people," Soco said.
Under Wage Order ROVII-20, the daily minimum wage in the region for each area of classification including agriculture and sugar sector are as follows:
1) Class A (cities of Carcar, Cebu, Danao, Lapu-Lapu, Mandaue, Naga, Talisay, and municipalities of Compostela, Consolacion, Cordova, Liloan, Minglanilla, San Fernando, or Expanded Metro Cebu) - Non- agriculture: P366, Agriculture: P348 (non-sugar) and P316 (sugar)
2) Class B (cities of Toledo, Bogo, and the rest of Municipalities in Cebu Province except Bantayan and Camotes Islands) - Non-agriculture: P333, Agriculture: P318 (non-sugar) and P303 (sugar)
3) Class C (all cities and municipalities in Bohol and Negros Oriental Provinces) - Non-agriculture: P323, Agriculture: P303 (non-sugar) and P303 (sugar)
4) Class D (Municipalities in Siquijor Province and Municipalities in Bantayan and Camotes Islands) - Non-agriculture: P308, Agriculture: P288 (non-sugar) and P303 (sugar)
Aside from the coalition, the other wage petitioners are the National Union of Workers in Hotel, Restaurant and Allied Industries-Montebello Chapter-Alliance of Progressive Labor-International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, tobacco and Allied Workers’ Association-Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa; the Lonbisco Employees Union; and the Cebu Midtown Hotel Employees-Union-NUWHRAIN-APL-IUF. (FREEMAN)