Mg’t rep says new wage hike moves ‘still prohibited’

CEBU, Philippines - As another wage hike petition looms, a business leader and one of the management sector representatives to the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board-7 said the move is prohibited as of this time.

Philip Tan, Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry president, said the law restricts any new application within one year from the promulgation of a wage order, except in an extraordinary situation.

Such situation, Tan said, “is not present as of the moment.”  He said, though, that labor groups “can always file for reconsideration.”

Jose Tomongha, Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa-Visayas head, though, said that the Coalition for Living Wage (CLW) has already come up with a figure as to how much daily wage increase they will file before the RTWPB-7.

The CLW have filed for a P132-increase in the daily wage last September while the Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) asked for P90, for all Region VII workers.

However, last February 14, the RTWPB-7 only granted an additional P13 for the daily Cost of Living Allowance (COLA), which took effect last March 21.

CLW spokesperson Metudio Belarmini and ALU-TUCP spokesperson Art Barrit both said P13 cannot be considered a wage increase but just an allowance, as it will not form part of the worker’s basic pay.

Tan, though, said “It’s the same. That is within the authority of the wage board to grant in form of a COLA.”

Under new Wage Order No. VII-18 (Providing for Cost of Living Allowance for Private Sector Workers in Central Visayas), that the granting of such allowance is subject to a review six months after its implementation.  (FREEMAN)