Tuesday, May 01, 2007 ALU-TUCP seeks P75 pay hike By Grace L. Plata
UNION presidents affiliated with Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) filed a petition Monday before the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB)-Southern Mindanao for a P75 daily wage increase for workers in Davao Region.
"This petition is in response to the call of our affiliates, after the TUCP released the result of its study as to upward movement of the consumer price index compared to last year. The election spending has manifested its inflationary effect on basic commodities," said Jaime Langcuas, president of the Bachelor Express Union, in a TUCP statement.
TUCP's petition, the statement said, has been consistent in anchoring its annual petition for wage increase in all regions in the country by monitoring the rise in the consumer price index, fluctuating oil prices, adjustments in electricity and water, and share in the region's economic development.
"Despite the strong performance of the peso against the dollar, the traders in basic commodities have not made the corresponding adjustments in their prices, leaving the ordinary worker scampering for money lenders to make both ends meet," said Veronica Pamis, president of Evergreen Farms, Inc. Workers Union.
"The P125 wage increase allegedly approved by the lower House is nothing but a false promise, coming as it does from the parylist representatives. They are disrupting the negotiation of our collective bargaining agreements since the employers are worried of its impact on their budget. It is a fact that there will be no legal wage increase from Congress as long as the law creating the regional wage boards it not repealed. This P125 increase is a political gimmick since the 1998 partylist election," said Rodrigo Ozzaraga of Del Monte employees union.
TUCP urged workers to "stop dreaming about the 125 wage increase as this talk of legislated wage increase keeps resurrecting every election period."
"It is time that we read our law first before we will be robbed of our votes again this May 14 election," said Antonio del Puerto of Tanglao Wokers Union.
TUCP also said their past petitions have raised wages in Southern Mindanao to P240 from a measly P89 in 1989 while pushing for collective bargaining agreement increases to reasonable levels for unionized establishments.
However, Kilusang Mayo Uno-established Anakpawis Party Monday said the RTWPB is not effective in determining the accurate amount of increase that is just and beneficial to workers.
"We do not recognize the mandate of RTWPB as their actions have proven to be anti-labor," said Omar Bantayan, Anakpawis vice president for Mindanao.
Bantayan also disagreed with TUCP's claims that a wage increase will not be made possible by Congress because of the RTWPB mandate to determine and fix wages.
"There is nowhere in the law that the Congress will inhibit itself from its inherent role of setting up wage increases when the RTWPB was created," Bantayan said.
"The Wage Nationalization code provides four ways to legally pass a wage increase -through collective bargaining agreement, through the RTWPB, through an executive order from the Malacañang and through a Congress-legislated wage increase," Bantayan explained contradicting TUCP's claims that the 125 wage increase is but an empty promise.
"I don't think that will be passed on 3rd reading if our legislators felt the law was filled with infirmities," Bantayan said, adding that the fact it passed the lower House proves it has merit and is viable.
