THE Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) and the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) in Central Luzon are set to conduct an orientation on productivity and minimum wage compliance in all provinces in the region.
The orientation was set following the approval of the rules and regulations on the new daily wage rates for minimum wage earners.
Dole-Central Luzon Director Ma. Zenaida Campita, who is also the chairperson of the RTWPB Central Luzon, said the wage board in December 2019 issued Wage Order 22 providing for P20 increase in the daily minimum wage of workers in agriculture, non-agriculture and retail and service industries.
"The wage order issued by the wage board took effect on January 1, 2020 and [Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello] already approved its implementing rules and regulations on March 5," Campita said.
The wage board is composed of the Dole regional director as chairperson, the National Economic and Development Authority and Department of Trade and Industry regional directors as vice-chairpersons, and two representatives each from the labor and employer sectors.
The wage board chairperson clarified that service establishments, as defined in the rules, refer to entities principally engaged in the sale of services to individuals for their own or household use, while retail establishments refer to entities principally engaged in the sale of goods to end users for personal or household use.
The implementing rules provide that the new daily minimum wage rates shall not apply to Barangay Micro Business Enterprises with Certificate of Authority issued by the Department of Trade and Industry.
Distressed establishments and establishments adversely affected by natural calamities are also exempted from the application of the Wage Order.
Campita urged employers not only to pay the minimum wage but also to implement productivity-based incentives schemes in their establishments to translate productivity into wage gains for workers.
"The wage board secretariat will assist private establishments in formulating and implementing productivity improvement programs and performance-based incentive schemes," she said.
This February, the wage board secretariat set in motion its wage and productivity caravan dubbed as "Usapang Pasahod at Productivity 2020."
In the caravan, topics discussed were the new wage order, productivity tools, and labor standards update. The caravan is still ongoing as of this date.
Business owners, human resource managers/officers and interested parties may coordinate with the wage board secretariat or with the Dole field offices for schedule of activities.