Thursday, August 09, 2007 Labor office told to monitor wage hike implementation
A METRO Manila legislator on Wednesday asked the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) to strictly monitor the implementation of the P12 increase in minimum wage for workers in the National Capital Region (NCR).
Paranaque Representative Eduardo Zialcita said Dole's work and duties do not end in the issuance of the wage increase order that now sets at P362 the daily minimum pay for Metro Manila workers.
"There are just too many company exemptions from the wage increase which will render the directive useless," said Zialcita.
According to him, the least the labor department can do is to make sure that companies comply with the new wage increase order.
"The labor department should not relax the rules on wage exemptions. The abusive companies must face closure," he said.
Earlier, the NCR wage board said establishments in Metro Manila suffering from financial distress, employing less than 10 workers, and adversely affected by natural calamities may be exempt from the P12 increase granted to minimum wage earners in the NCR.
Furthermore, it said establishments whose total assets, including those arising from loans, but exclusive of the land on which the particular business entity's office, plant, and equipment are situated, are not more than P3 million may be exempt.
"Considering that the wage adjustment is minimal, we hope that companies would fully comply with the wage increase order and not find excuses to be exempt," said Zialcita. (Sunnex)
