MANILA – Companies were using threats of mass layoffs and closures to avoid providing their employees additional salary, a labor organization said on Sunday.
The Associated Labor Unions – Trade Union Congress of the Philippines has announced they revised their daily wage hike petition, raising their demand to P344 from the previous P320.
Companies have an option to file for exemption if they cannot provide wage increases, the labor group’s spokesman Alan Tanjusay told a radio interview.
“Dito sa batas, kung ang kompanya ay hindi niya kayang ibigay ang sahod, pwede siyang mag-file ng exemption at hindi siya pinipilit na bayaran o sundin iyong wage order na binigay ng Wage Board,” Tanjusay said.
“So iyong sinasabi na magsasara, mawawalan ng trabaho, ito ay pananakot lamang sa ating lahat para hindi tayo magbigay ng substantial wage increase,” he added.
Tanjusay said the petition for a P344 wage hike reflects the 6.2-percent inflation rate in the third quarter. The P320 wage hike petition, filed in June, reflected only the prevailing conditions in the first quarter, he said.
The labor group leader said they will present the revised petition before the Wage Board meeting Monday.
In Metro Manila, workers currently receive a P512 daily minimum wage. If the wage hike petition is approved, employees could receive a pay of up to P856 per day.
Under Wage Order No. 15 of the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board of the Department of Labor of Employment, companies that may file for exemption from increasing the pay for their employees are:
* distressed establishments
* establishments whose total assets including those arising from loans but exclusive of the land on which the particular business entity’s office, plant and equipment are situated, are not more than P3 million
* retail/service establishments employing not more than 10 workers
* establishments adversely affected by natural calamities
A wage increase would allow workers to benefit from improvements in the business sector, Tanjusay said.
“Iyon ang whole purpose ng ating wage petition. Umuunlad ang ating ekonomiya, umuunlad ang mga negosyo, pero iyong mga manggagawa, sila ang tumutulong para umunlad ang ekonomiya at negosyo, ay lalong nagiging mahirap,” he said.
“Sa batas, naglagay talaga sila ng exemption para iyong mga maliliit na companies na hindi kayang ibigay iyong mataas na wage increase ay pwede silang mag-file ng exemption at titignan ng Wage Board kung nararapat nga silang bigyan,” he added. (GMA News)
