TUCP, six others file petition: Pay hike sought

CEBU, Philippines —  The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) and six other labor groups have filed petitions for earners in Central Visayas.

Two new petitions were filed yesterday, March 21, 2022, while another was a second attempt at getting the nod of the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB)-7.

TUCP is asking RTWPB-7 to grant a P430 increase in wage, which, if approved, would bring to P834 the daily earning of workers in the region.

Meanwhile, the Alyansa sa mga Mamumuong Kontraktwal sa Sugbo (ALSA Kontraktwal-Cebu) wants a P750 national minimum wage.

It is asking for an additional P346 to the minimum wage of non-agricultural workers, and an additional P356 to agricultural workers and workers in establishments with less than 10 employees in Class A areas.

For Class B areas, the petition proposes an increase of P384 for non-agricultural workers, and an additional P389 for agricultural workers and for workers in establishments with less than 10 employees.

For Class C areas, the petition seeks to add P394 to the minimum wage of non-agricultural workers, and an additional P399 for agricultural workers and for workers in establishments with less than 10 employees.

All wage increases will total P750 when added to the current wages.

On the other hand, LONBISCO Employees Organization (LEO) represented by its president, Alvin Pino; Metaphil Workers Union (MWU) represented by its president, Melchor Atupan; Union Bank Employees Association (UBEA) represented by its president Nicholou Malazarte; Paul Alvin Fajardo, CELAC representative; and Metudio Belarmino, spokesperson of CELAC; also refiled their P308 per day petition.

They refiled the petition after RTWPB-7 junked their original petition two weeks ago.

The petition also seeks a P1,500 increase for domestic workers monthly.

About Time

TUCP representative Raymond Democrito Mendoza said it has been two years since RTWPB-7 granted the P18 additional daily wage for minimum earners in the region and many has happened since then, including the COVID-19 pandemic and Typhoon Odette.

“Sa 2020, wala ta ka file. Sa 2021, wala ta ka-file kay pandemya. Karon sa 2022, hilabina sa pagsaka sa basic commodities ug sa oil, murag niabot na gyud ang panahon nga patas-an na nato ang sweldo,” Mendoza said in a press conference on Monday, March 21.

Lorenzo Gelbero of ALSA Kontraktwal-Cebu echoed the sentiment.

 “Duha ka tuig na ang nilabay nga wala na mahatagi og dugang sa suhulan ang mga mamumuo. Angay lang nga dungagan na karon ang minimum, labi na nga ania ta sa panahon sa grabeng krisis sa lana, sa pandemya, ug sa epekto sa Bagyong Odette pag Disyembre,” he said.

“Nanginahanglan karon ang katawhang Pilipino og klaro nga lihok gikan sa gobyerno ug tinuoray nga solusyon sa mga nasinati nga mga krisis sa matag pamilya. Kon sinsero ang gobyerno nga sulbaron ang kalisod sa katawhan, dapat nilang dunggon ug lihokon ang atong mga panawagan,” he added.

Reasons

TUCP’s move came after oil prices increased as the global market is hit by the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia.

Mendoza said, though, that this is not the only reason.

“Let me also be clear on our fight for decent wages. Wage hike was needed long before the Ukraine-Russia war and the skyrocketing oil prices that followed. The possible oil price rollback this coming week, although we would certainly welcome it, does not mean rolling back our wage petition. Our minimum wage earners and their families have already fallen below the poverty level even before the ongoing conflict and its aftermath. The fact that our minimum wage earners have become the newly poor is a blatant injustice that must be seriously and urgently addressed by the government,” Mendoza said.

Eva Arcos, TUCP Vice President, showed data that in Central Visayas, the minimum wage per month is P10,504 while the take home pay per month is P9,663.94. This is way below the poverty threshold per month at P16, 295.

The minimum wage per month is simply insufficient for the needs of the earner’s family, Arcos said.

 “With the current minimum wage in Region 7, a measly P15 per meal can be allocated per member of the family, which is P41.17 lower compared to P61.17/meal/person estimated by the Ateneo Policy Center using the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Pinggang Pinoy model… Do our workers deserve just to eat nutritionally deficient foods while they continue breaking their backs to sustain and expand the economy?” Mendoza said.

The current P404 daily minimum wage is still “far below the poverty threshold” for a family with five members.

“Ang hangyo sa TUCP, tagae intawon og hustong sweldo… ayaw sad tawon na nga ubos poverty threshold,” Mendoza said.

TUCP also asked President Rodrigo Duterte “to urge the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards (RTWPB) to swiftly act on the beneath poverty-level wages for our minimum wage earners and provide a just and long overdue wage increase.”

TUCP is set to file petitions before RTWPB in other regions like in Region 11, 12, 3 and 9. – Le Phyllis F. Antojado, JMO (FREEMAN)