PROPOSALS for a legislated wage hike are not yet dead in the water, House Speaker Martin Romualdez said.
In an interview for Teleradyo Serbisyo’s “Gising Pilipinas”, he said these measures just need to go through the legislative process — including hearing the side of workers, business groups, the government’s economic managers, and other stakeholders — so the House of Representatives can decide on the matter.
“Oo, buhay,” Romualdez said.
“Of course, but we go through the process. Maghi-hearing kami, and then we’ll also listen to the economic managers. And then we’ll roll out the results… Basta may issue, may clamor, or may concern, pakinggan natin lahat… Iba-balanse natin,” he added.
Some lawmakers have reiterated their call for a legislated wage hike, saying the wage board-approved P35 increase in the daily minimum wage of private workers in Metro Manila is insufficient to offset the impact of inflation on the price of food and basic necessities.
With the order, the daily minimum pay for non-agriculture workers would be set at P645 from the current P610.
Last February, the Senate approved on third and final reading a bill proposing a P100 increase in the daily minimum wage of workers in the private sector.
Proposals for an across-the-board P150-P750 daily wage increase remain pending at the committee level at the House.
House Committee on Labor and Employment chairperson Fidel Nograles of the 4th District of Rizal has given assurances that the panel will continue deliberating on the pending wage hike bills.
“Patuloy po natin pag-uusapan sa Kongreso ang panukalang wage increase. Ang nais natin ay makapaghanap ng magandang compromise na tutugon sa pangangailangan ng ating mga manggagawa, na hindi naman ikalulugi ng mga nagbibigay ng trabaho,” he said. (ABS-CBN News)
