BACOLOD City – The General Alliance of Workers Association (GAWA) in Negros Occidental appealed to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. for the immediate convening of the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) for the Negros Island Region (NIR).
On June 13, 2024, the President signed into law the Republic Act No. 12000, or the NIR Law, creating a new administrative region comprising the provinces of Negros Occidental, including the highly-urbanized Bacolod City, Negros Oriental and Siquijor.
GAWA secretary general Wennie Sancho said their group is appealing to the President through Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma to facilitate the immediate convening of the NIR-RTWPB.
Despite the presence of various government agencies with satellite offices in NIR, the regional wage board remain unconstituted.
Sancho, the former labor representative in Western Visayas’ regional wage board, stressed that this is a pressing concern as the wage board plays a vital role in determining the minimum wage rates and promoting productivity in the region as mandated by Republic Act 6727.
The absence of a functional wage board in NIR has resulted in a lack of representation for workers, employers and government agencies in the region, hindering the implementation of wage policies and productivity programs, he said.
Additionally, GAWA is urgently requesting for the government to take immediate action to constitute the NIR-RTWPB, ensuing the representation of workers, employers and government agencies, and to schedule the first meeting of the RTWPB to discuss pressing wage and productivity issues in the region.
“We believe that the immediate convening of the regional wage board in NIR will significantly contribute to the promotion of fair wages, productivity and economic growth in the Negros Island Region,” Sancho added./PN
