DOLE reminded on review of minimum wage promised in March
MANILA, Philippines — Results of a review of the minimum wage that that the labor department promised in March are overdue, Sen. Risa Hontiveros said on Labor Day.
Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III ordered Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards in March to speed up their review of pay rates as fuel and food prices rose due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
"What's taking so long? Ano mang delay sa paglalabas ng desisyon ukol sa minimum wage ay pwedeng magdulot ng kagutuman o kawalan ng pag-asa sa mga manggagawa na makaahon pa sila sa patong-patong na bayarin," Hontiveros said in a statement on Sunday.
The minimum wage is P537 a day in Metro Manila and varies regionally.
DOLE said in early April that it was processing petitions for increases in the National Capital Region and had consolidated pleas for increases of from P213 to P250 to the daily rate.
The regional wage board for NCR did not act on an across-the-board increase filed by the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines because it was outside its jurisdiction, DOLE also said in a release.
Consultations with the labor sector and with employers were scheduled in April and DOLE said it would also hold a public hearing on the proposed increases to the minimum wage.
RELATED: P470 hike in Metro Manila daily minimum wage sought amid rising prices
Hontiveros on Sunday said that regional minimum wages have not been adjusted in three years.
"Tumaas na ang gastos sa kuryente, pamasahe, pagkain at kinailangan pang gastusan ang internet. Oras na para tingnan at pag-aralan dahil hindi na sasapat ito sa gastusin ng mga pamilyang Pilipino," she said.
(The cost of electricity, tramsportation, food has risen and we have also had to pay more for internet. It is time to review and study (the minimum wage) because it is really not enough for the daily needs of Filipino families.)
The re-electionist also said that the labor department should make sure that employers pay their workers at least the minimum wage, saying that, based on the 2018 Labor Force Survey, around 10 million of 41 million workers received pay lower than the minimum set by the government.
NEDA Director-General Karl Chua advised President Rodrigo Duterte in a televised meeting in mid-March that raising minimum wages could mean even higher prices for everyone.
If the daily minimum wage in Metro Manila is raised by 6% or by P39, the country's inflation would increase by one percentage point, he said then.
"This will affect all Filipinos. Perhaps the minimum wage earner will benefit from it. But the informal workers who are not earning the minimum wage, for instance, those with piecemeal pay or those whose pay is lower than the minimum wage, would also be affected," Chua said.
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