The seven-member board -composed of two representatives each from both the labor and management sectors and three from the government including the regional director of the Department of Labor and Employment who sits as chairman- voted two-four against the pending petitions.
Jose Boquecosa Jr., one of the labor sector representatives, representing ALU, said that they were outvoted by the management sector because the two government representatives, Asteria Caberte of the Department of Trade and Industry and Marlene Rodriguez of the National Economic Development Authority, supported the management sector.
ALU petitioned last May 22 for a P75 increase in the daily minimum wage, APL asked for a higher P95 across-the-board increase, which were voted upon by the board last night after an "intense" debate.
Boquecosa however said that when ALU filed the petition they knew that it would pass through the eye of the needle if ever the board would approve it.
"Subidahon gyud," he said.
The deliberation, which lasted about two and a half hours started at 4:30 p.m. until regional director Elias Cayanong of the DOLE, who sits as chairman, adjourned the meeting at 7:00 p.m. upon request of the other labor sector representative, Marianito Ventura.
Cayanong said Ventura requested for a premature adjournment of the meeting for health reasons. Boquecosa said Ventura suddenly looked pale in the middle of the intense debate between them and the management sector.
Cayanong said the board will continue its deliberation at 10:00 a.m. today until they will be able to come up with a common ground acceptable for both the management and labor sectors. According to Cayanong, the discussion today will be centered on finding a common ground for both parties.
"Mangita ta og middle ground, acceptable to all the parties," Cayanong said.
Cayanong said both the labor and management sectors have yet to give proposals and counter-proposals after the two wage hike petitions were turned down last night. Boquecosa said they will listen to the proposal of the management sector as soon as they resume deliberation today.
Boquecosa said as far as the labor sector is concerned a P75 increase in the daily wage, as petitioned for by ALU, is the appropriate increase that should be granted to the workers in Central Visayas. But since it was dismissed, Boquecosa said they will listen to the proposal of the management as to how much is the acceptable wage increase for them.
Charles Streegan, one of the management sector representatives, refused to give initial amount of increase that the management can afford to give to the workers but assured the labor sector that the management is not totally against any wage increase.
"It's all about balancing everybody's interest," Streegan added.
In an earlier interview, Ventura said that he hopes that the board will agree an amount not lesser than P35. The amount however would also be an uphill struggle for the labor sector because history shows that increases granted in Central Visayas were not bigger than the amount approved in Metro Manila.
The RTWPB in the National Capital Region two weeks ago approved an increase of P25 in the minimum wage. Despite this, Ventura said he hopes against hope that history will not repeat itself this time because he felt that the new NEDA and DOLE directors are sympathetic to them.
But judging from the result of yesterday's voting, Ventura's hope of getting the support the representatives of the two government agencies seem impossible.
Cayanong said the board hopes to finish the deliberation today and will come up with the new wage order either later tonight or tomorrow.