MANILA – The congressional bicameral conference committee ratified the measure that will grant restaurant and hotel employees 100 percent access to service charges collected from customers.
The bicam panel agreed to adopt Senate Bill 1299, which proposes that restaurant and hotel workers – whether regular, contractual, or agency-hired – are entitled to a 100-percent service charge.
The House version only proposed a 90-percent share for rank-and-file and supervisory employees in the total service charges being collected by hotels, restaurants and similar establishments.
Sen. Joel Villanueva, chairman of the Senate committee on labor, employment and human resources development, said the bill would benefit 443,00 hotel and restaurant workers if it would be enacted into law.
“As customers, it is clear to us that when we pay service charge, our intention is towards those who served us. We pay service charge to commend excellent service or as an outright good will to the service crew,” Villanueva said.
“This measure will create more employment-friendly workplaces not only for the benefit of our workers, but also our employers,” he added. “After more than 40 years, ngayon ‘yung service charge ay 100 percent na mapupunta sa ating workers.”
Villanueva added that the service charge is just a small portion of the total income of an establishment and it deserves to be given to the employees who are the ones actually providing service to customers.
With both the Senate and the House of Representatives ratifying the bill, it will now be sent to the Palace for President Rodrigo Duterte’s signature./PN
