RTWPB assures win-win solution

CEBU, Philippines - The Regional Tripartite Wage and Productivity Board-7 said that it will come up with a win-win solution for both the labor and management in the latest wage hike petitions.

Chona Mantilla, chairman of the RTWPB-7, assured both parties that they will look into all the evidence and justifications to ensure a fair solution.

The seven-member board has yet to conduct a meeting as to when to start the deliberation.

Both the management and the labor sector have presented their sentiments at a public hearing on the two wage hike petitions.

Obviously, none among the management side and the business sector wanted any wage increase.

But the labor groups insisted that there is a need to adjust the worker's wages.

During the hearing, one of the petitioners, the Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines, said that it filed the petition so the minimum wage earners could have a decent living.

During his presentation, ALU-TUCP spokesperson Art Barrit said that the P90 wage adjustment that they sought is not a wishful thinking.

"This is a matter of justice for the workers and their families who are the ones who toil and create money for their employees," Barrit said.

Another petitioner, the Living Wage Coalition, which asked for a P132 daily wage hike for all workers in Central Visayas, said that the soaring basic commodity prices crippled the workers' purchasing power.

The National Economic Development Authority-7 and the Department of Trade and Industry-7 have also presented the economic situationer in the region and the comparative prices of basic and prime commodities.

It noted that economic growth in the region is high but inflation rate also went up.

Prices of basic and prime commodities slightly increased from 10 cents to 15 cents.

But Philexport-Cebu branded the wage hike petitions as callous, impractical and reckless.

It said the petitions have no regard for the thousands of workers who lost their jobs due to the two calamities that hit the region last year.

Members of Mactan Export Processing Zone Chamber of Exporters and Manufacturers, an organization of 140 companies and support group, said this is a bad year for the export sector since they continue to suffer from the calamities.

"We appeal to the wage board for a moratorium for any wage increase or benefits until the situation normalized," MEPZCEM said in their position paper.

The Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Hardwares Association of Cebu and some independent hotel owners also opposed to the wage hike petitions.

The business groups wanted a moratorium on any wage adjustment owing to the fact that the region is severely affected by the two calamities.

But lawyer Ernesto Carreon, one of the labor representatives to the board, said that calamities also bring good business.

"Nakanindot sa mga negosyante ang mga calamities," said Carreon, who is also the legal chief of ALU-TUCP.

Carreon explained "that now we are in the rehabilitation stage, we can expect Cebu to boom."

"The Regional Development Council-7 just approve the released of P27 billion and another P47 billion from the national government which will be spent for the rehabilitation. Asa man diay ni padung, di ba sa Cebu? Kay anhi man sa Cebu mamalit ug supplies sa semento, sa mga steel bars ug uban pa. We can expect Cebu to boom," Carreon said.

Metudio Belarmino, who represented the LWC, said that business establishments damaged by the calamities have insurance policies.

"Ang ilang rason nga moratorium gyud sa wage increase kay daghan nangaguba sa ilang negosyo nga naa man na silay mga insurance and besides, the government is helping them," he said.

But with all these arguments, Mantilla assured that the board will fairly decide as to how much the employees need and how much the business sector can afford.

Philip Tan, one of the management representatives to the board, said that the labor and management should work together.

"I am appealing sa atong labor nga magsinabtanay lang ta. Let us be objective and rational on this issue," Tan said.  (FREEMAN)