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Friday, June 30, 2006
RTWPB sees need to raise daily pay, says Dole chief
The meeting of representatives to the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) yesterday had a surprising outcome: both labor and management agreed on the need to adjust the minimum wage rate. But as to how much will be tackled in the July 10 public hearing.
“The fact that the management was convinced that there should be an increase was positive. We only have to make sure that the parameters laid down for the July 10 hearing will be followed, otherwise magkagubot nasab unya ta,” RTWPB Chairman and Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) 7 Director Elias Cayanong said, after presiding over the closed-door meeting.
Cayanong said they are bound to come up with a new rate 30 days after a hearing, but the board is optimistic to have it as early as July 15.
P75 increase
Representatives from the Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) are pushing for a P75 increase, while the Association of Progressive Labor wants P95.
However, as an alternative, both agreed on the proposed legislated across-the-board wage increase of P125 spread over three years.
“They agreed to it as a starting point, with P45 in the first year, P40 in the second year and P40 in the third year, which for me also good,” Cayanong said.
A public hearing on the pay raise will be held at the Cebu Grand Hotel at 9 a.m. on July 10.
Metro Manila workers have already been granted a P25 increase.
Wage Order 11, which took effect last June 16, 2005, set the minimum wage of Metro Cebu workers at P223 and P220 for the rest of Central Visayas.
Cayanong said that during the meeting, they summarized the result of the hearings in the cities of Dumaguete and Tagbilaran and in the District Tripartite Council, which represents labor and management of sugar planters in Bogo town.
“Cebu is an employment-generating area so we have to be careful in dealing with this issue because any movement from either labor or management sector could affect the economy,” he said.
He also explained that Metro Manila was quick to come up with a new rate because they have easy access to national officials. (AIV)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (June 30, 2006 issue)
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