Tuesday, April 15, 2008 Labor leaders ask Cola, not wage hike
INSTEAD of asking for wage increase, local leaders of the labor groups in Negros Oriental have asked that emergency cost-of-living allowance (Cola) be integrated in the basic pay.
Board member Melimore Saycon, vice-president of the Provincial Agricultural, Industrial Workers' Union-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (Paciwu-TUCP) for Visayas and Mindanao, said the law does not allow an imposition of another wage increase in less than one year after the latest implementation of wage increase.
Saycon, who chaired the committee on labor and industrial relations in the Provincial Board, said the last wage increase was November 11, 2007.
The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) in Central Visayas has approved a P5 wage increase for Dumaguete City and Negros Oriental on November 11, 2007.
He explained that like Bohol, cities of Negros Oriental, categorized under Class C, non-agriculture workers are receiving P220 minimum wage while agriculture workers are receiving P200 daily wage.
He, however, said Paciwu-TUCP is studying how much the workers need and how much private companies can give to the workers.
He stressed that workers on private sectors are also affected by the increase of prices especially rice.
He expressed apprehensions that the high rocketing of prices will continue because of the continued increase of oil price in the world market. He believed that prices of oil affect the prices of basic commodities.
Despite the assurance of the National Government that there is no shortage of rice, action speaks louder than words, he said.
He cited the proposal of the National Government to increase the price of rice sold by the state-owned National Food Authority (NFA). (VLC)
