Wage board issues new order in Eastern Visayas

THE Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWP) in Eastern Visayas has integrated the P10 Cost of Living Allowance (Cola) to the basic daily pay.

In an order approved on Tuesday, the RTWP granted a P7 increase for private workers under Wage Order 17.

RTWPB Chairman and Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) Regional Director Exequiel Sarcauga said the minimum daily pay for the region’s 87,687 employers in private firms ranges from P220.50 to P262.
 
The board “unanimously agreed” to integrate the P10 out of the P25 Cola prescribed in Wage Order 16 to the basic salary and added P7 to the remaining P15 Cola under the previous wage order.
 
The Wage Order 17, that will take effect 15 days after publication, fixed the daily minimum pay in the region to P238 for cottage/handicraft workers, P241 for the non-sugar agriculture sector, P260 for the non-agricultural sector, and P220.50-P262 for the sugar industry.
 
“After a lengthy discussion on the wage, the board decided to increase the minimum daily pay. Though there is resistance from the management to adjust wages, we highly consider supervening events in our deliberation,” Sarcauga said Thursday.
 
He explained the adjustment is uniform among all establishments in the region maintaining the disparity of pay among agricultural and non-agricultural workers.
 
As of last year, the region has 18,351 establishments, with 17,247 are micro, 1,037 are small, 42 are medium, and 25 are large. More than half (9,310) of the firms in the region are engaged in wholesale and retail.
 
It can be recalled that on August 3, 2012, the board adopted a resolution calling for a motu proprio review of the existing wage structure after noting supervening events.
 
RTWPB Secretary Florencio Aguilos said the price movements of fuel products have increased gasoline to P3.98 per liter and diesel to P1.97 per liter from January to August 28, 2012.
 
Aguilos added that in the food category, fish registered the highest consumer price index (CPI) increase from 144.6 in January to 150.2 in June 2012. For non-food items, electricity and gas CPI went up to 152.7 in June from 136.7 six months earlier. (Leyte Samar Daily Express)