City Council supports call for wage hike

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Council is supporting the move of the Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) to demand for another wage increase for the workers in Central Visayas.

The city legislators headed by Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella approved the resolution sponsored by Councilor Sisinio Andales, chairman of the City Council’s committee on labor and employment, supporting ALU-TUCP’s move.

Andales was able to convince his fellow city legislators to support the move of the biggest labor union in the country in demanding another wage increase because of the rising cost of commodities.

ALU-TUCP lawyer Ernesto Carreon had announced that he received orders from their national office to file a wage increase petition for the workers in the region even if it’s not yet one year from the last wage increase.

The last wage increase implemented by the RTWPB was in November last year, directing the employers to give P327 daily wage to each of their workers. The law requires that the next wage hike petition must be filed one year after the recent increase or when supervening conditions are established.

Carreon also sits as labor sector representative at the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) 7, the agency that will evaluate and review petitions for wage increase.

The oil prices had already increased several times, the last time only last Wednesday, where the oil companies implemented P.75 increase for every liter of diesel and P1.60 for every liter of premium gasoline.

As a result, the transport groups also plan to move for a fare increase for public utility jeepneys.  (FREEMAN)