EDITORIAL - Workers should not dictate the rate

Following a series of deliberations, the wage board finally approved another salary increase. The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board announced last Thursday that the daily minimum wage in Central Visayas will increase by P18.     

The new wage hike, which takes effect in September, drew varied reactions from different sectors. While many regarded it as a welcome relief in these hard times, some said the increase is not enough amid the skyrocketing prices of commodities.

Earlier, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines petitioned for a P100 wage increase. But the wage board turned down its petition with RTWPB chairman and Department of Labor and Employment regional director Elias Cayanong saying they cannot go beyond the P18 because Central Visayas has one of the lowest inflation rates in the country.

Although he admitted that the P18 increase brings no big impact to the family of six, Cayanong explained that it is better than nothing.

Workers and employers would always clash when it comes to the implementation of wage increase. But it's always the former who will get favored by the wage board.     

However, it's beyond the control of workers as to how much they are getting. It is always the wage board which will have the final say on the rate, whether the workers like it or not. 

Workers, especially those associated with labor groups, should not have to dictate how much they should receive. The fact that the wage board would ultimately grant their request for a salary hike, no matter how small it is, is an affirmation that they would always win the war. 

However, it's not their fault to push for a certain rate given the desperate need for additional cash. But their demands would usually go beyond what is sensible. They would always clamor for a wage increase that is too high for their employers to abide by.

Imagine the serious consequences if the RTWPB approved the P100 hike sought by the TUCP in this time when the global economic crisis is taking toll on the local businesses.             

Yes, workers, in this time of hardship, really need a raise in their daily take-home pay to live decently. But any increase should be based on the real business climate.