Labor group pushing for swift salary increase

CEBU, Philippines — A labor group believes that the sharp inflationary impact of the TRAIN law is enough reason for the regional wage boards to conduct summary proceedings on the need to raise salaries, even in the absence of a petition.

Partido Manggagawa (PM)-Cebu spokesperson Dennis Derige, in a statement, said the effect of TRAIN law on inflation is “fast and furious.”

"Workers, especially the majority of wage earners who gained nothing from TRAIN yet ending up devastatingly hit by inflation, clearly need a wage hike now," Derige said.

PM pointed out that an immediate wage hike would merely mean recovery of the lost purchasing power among employees due to inflation.

In the long term, PM said this action will neither rectify the structural defects in the country’s wage fixing mechanism that keep wages low nor satisfy the worker’s right to a living wage mandated by the Constitution.

Meanwhile, board members of the Regional Tripartite Wage and Productivity Board-7 have unanimously agreed last Monday that there should be wage increase among the workers in the private sector.

The amount of the increase, however, remains to be seen, as the board members will hold another deliberation by June 7.

Jose Tomongha, one of the two board members representing the labor sector, said that it is good that all the board members agreed for a wage increase.

"Mao pa na among sabutan kung ang increase i-regionwide ba or across the board ba," said Tomongha.

During the public hearing on the petition for wage increase, the business sector in Cebu strongly opposed any move to adjust the workers' salaries.

The Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mactan Export Processing Zone Chamber of Exporters and Manufacturers, Philexport-Cebu and Cebu Furniture Industry Foundation, in their respective position papers, are blocking any wage increase.

The labor sector, however, believes otherwise.

"Nakita gyud atol sa among deliberation ug presentation sa mga data sa nagkada-iyang government agencies nga nisaka gyud ang palaliton tungod sa implementasyon sa TRAIN Law," Tomongha said.

Tomongha added that the worker's purchasing power have diminished as inflation rate continue to rise.

The Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines had asked for P120 increase in the daily wage for all private workers in Central Visayas, while the Cebu Labor Coalition, NLM-Katipunan, Metaphil Workers Union and Unionbank Employees Association pushed for a P155 per day increase.

The members of the wage board assured that they will balance the interest of both the labor and management sectors and that they will objectively decide on the matter. — GAN (FREEMAN)