ILOILO City – The first public consultation on the proposed P100 increase in the daily wage in Western Visayas was held yesterday.
Labor groups, however, said they would rather call the proposal a “wage recovery” as the increase, they explained was geared at recovering the value of workers’ wages lost to soaring inflation.
The current daily minimum wage rates in Western Visayas, which took effect on June 5, 2022, range from P410 to P450. Wage Order No. RBVI-26 increased the daily minimum wage in the region to P55, or from P395 to P450.
For non-agricultural/industrial/commercial sectors employing 10 workers or less, the daily minimum wage is P420. For the agricultural sector, it’s P410.
The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) held yesterday’s consultation at the Jalaur Conference Room of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Region 6 here. It was headed by RTWPB chair, Director Sixto Rodriguez Jr. of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Region 6.
Present were the members of the board, including NEDA-6 director Arecio Casing Jr.; and representatives from the Department of Trade and Industry, labor sector, and United Labor-Western Visayas and Iloilo Pepsi Cola Workers Independent Union that filed the wage hike petition.
“They do not want to call it an increase; they want to term it ‘wage recovery’,” Rodriguez told Panay News.
The public consultation was part of due process, he added.
“’Yan ang aming purpose for consultation. We have to hear the opinion of everyone,” Rodriguez said.
The two labor unions were also pursuing the proposed P100 across-the-board wage hike, regardless of the employee’s distinction or the employer’s or company’s classification.
However, the RTWPB-6 said it could be dismissed as it has no power to issue an across-the-board wage order; only Congress can do that through legislation.
Why ‘wage recovery’?
Mario Andon, spokesperson of the United Labor-Western Visayas, said they are seeking a “wage recovery” due to rising inflation which, in February, hit 10.8 percent – the highest among the regions in the country.
With the inflation, he said, the real value of private sector workers dropped to P365 instead of P450.
“Ang nadura nga balor sang sweldo sang mamumugon is P85. Ti gin-round off na lang namon sa P100,” explained Andon.
A P100 recovery wage request is justified, according to Andon, as private workers could no longer feel the real value of their P450 daily minimum wage.
“Kon pataason mo ang sweldo sang mamumugon, may capacity to buy sila para sa kinahanglanon sang pamilya. Indi balido maghambal sila nga magataas ang inflation kon mataas ang sweldo sang mamumugon. Ang amon ginapangayo valid,” he added.
The Iloilo Pepsi Cola Workers Independent Union, which filed a wage petition in March this year, supported the proposed wage recovery.
“Ang balor sang aton diri kwarta subong P365 na lang, despite nga nagsaka last year ang sweldo. So, daw nagkulang pa ang value sang kwarta naton epekto sang inflation rate,” said union president Rene Santiago.
Next public consultation
Rodriguez said they would hold another consultation in Bacolod City on Aug. 1.
There is no set date for Aklan province, but it is in August, too.
“[After completing the public consultations,] we will sit down and deliberate kung magkaroon, if we should issue a wage order or not,” said Rodriguez, adding they are yet to hear the sentiments of employers./PN
