Friday, July 09, 2004 Militant groups urge LGUs to support wage increase By Bong S. Sarmiento
KORONADAL CITY -- Militant labor groups Thursday asked local government units (LGUs) in South Cotabato to support the appeal of workers for a P125 wage increase in the private sector and P3,000 monthly in the public sector.
This is due to the rising cost of living as a result of the recent fare adjustments and the series of oil price increases since 2000.
Eliezer Billanes, co-chair of the South Cotabato People's Alliance for Nationalism and Democracy, said the LGUs must support the move to increase workers' wages to ease their plight in the light of the skyrocketing prices of basic commodities.
"The LGUs can show their support to the workers by promulgating resolutions supporting the calls for wage hikes," he said.
In pressing for a wage hike, Billanes cited the national average on cost of living, which was placed at P540 daily for a family with six members.
He said the ordinary workers' plight in the province has worsened and that everything is increasing but not the salaries of employees.
Last month, bus companies and other mass transport systems in the province increased their fares by as much as 50 percent.
Since 2000, prices of petroleum products had increased six times.
Billanes issued the call as the Central Mindanao Regional Tripartite Wage and Productivity Board held a public consultation here to determine the possible new wage rates in the region.
Joel Gonzales, board secretary of RTWPB-12, admitted that there is really a need, based on consultations, to increase the salary of workers owing to the rising cost of standards of living.
"But at the moment we cannot tell how much should be the increase as we are still consulting the public in various localities in the region," he said.
The regional wage board, through Wage Order No. SMR-10, last increased the minimum daily wage in May, 2002 to P170 from P160 for those working in the private sector.
But in addition, the regional wage board also ordered the implementation of the so-called Provisional Emergency Relief Allowance, amounting to P10 a day.
In all, a minimum wage earner in the private sector in Central Mindanao should net P180 daily until this time.
Central Mindanao covers the provinces of South Cotabato, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani and the cities of Cotabato, Kidapawan, Tacurong, Koronadal and General Santos.
Gonzales said earlier public consultations in the cities of Cotabato and Kidapawan showed that a wage increase should be effected as soon as possible.
He declined to give a comment on the proposed P125 daily wage increase, saying only that any adjustments must undergo the deliberation of the regional wage board upon the completion of the public consultations in the region.
Under Wage Order No SMR-10, household or domestic helpers and persons employed in the personal service of another, including family drivers, are not covered.
All workers paid by results, including those who are paid on piecework, "takay", "pakyaw" or task basis, shall receive not less than the prescribed minimum wage rate under the order for the normal working hours that shall not exceed eight hours a day, or a proportion of the new minimum wage rates for work of less than the normal working hours, the order also said.
Wage Order No SMR-10 was approved on December 19, 2001 in nearby General Santos City.
(July 9, 2004 issue) Write letter to the editor.Click here. Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here.
