MINIMUM wage earners in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) may soon see their salary increasing.
But the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) in coordination with the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) will still have to deliberate on how much increase will be approved on the existing P300 minimum wage.
“This issue in wage fixing has long been up in the year; we have talked about it for a long time already. We’ve been to different provinces in the region and this is the last stage now. We see the need for an increase in wage, but the very hard thing to do is to decide on the amount that will be added,” Dole assistant regional director Jesus Elpidio Atal Jr. said.
During the Baguio-La Trinidad leg, a group of employers recommended a minimum wage of P315 with a subsidy of P5 for employer’s basic salary and additional P25 for cost of living allowance (Cola).
The group said they agreed to have an increase in minimum wage mainly because of the increase of prices for basic and prime commodities including transportation expenses as well as their concern in keeping employees from going to adjacent regions with higher minimum wage.
With the expected wage increase, employers are hoping for an improved performance.
The employees’ group proposed to have an increase of P50 in the minimum wage adding the P300 is not enough to cover their daily expenses, most especially with the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (Train) law.
Engr. Alfonso Lao, RTWPB management representative, assured the board will have a balanced action with regards to the concerns of both the employers and employees.
“If we will decide, we will make sure that it would be more or less a balance decision, a win-win solution both for the employers and the employees,” Lao added.
The regional wage body is now given 45 days to deliberate and finalized their decision. (Czarina Berlynn Donne Agustin/ MMSU intern)