REGIONAL Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) in Western Visayas chairman Johnson Cañete said he is expecting a decision on the proposed petition for the wage increase in today's final deliberation.
Cañete, in an interview with SunStar Bacolod yesterday, said after the two deliberations last Wednesday and Friday, the members are meeting today in Bacolod City for another round of deliberation.
"I am expecting a final decision after this final deliberation for the Board to issue a new Wage Order," he said, stressing that it should be "fair" and agreed by all sector representatives.
The series of deliberations are intended mainly for the Board to discuss the petition as well as at least nine position papers submitted by various groups in the region during the four public hearings.
On January 22, the Philippine Agricultural, Commercial, and Industrial Workers Union-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (Paciwu-TUCP) filed a petition seeking for a P130 to P150 increase depending on the worker's classification.
The labor group wants a daily increase of P150 for non-agriculture, industrial, and commercial establishments employing more than 10 workers.
For those with less than 10 employees, the proposed increase was pegged at P130.
Under the petition, agricultural plantations with an area of more than 24 hectares should provide a P140 daily increase.
Those with area of less than 24 hectares, with P130 additional pay.
If approved, it will replace the current Wage Order No. 23 which already expired on March 16.
It provided a daily minimum wage rate of P323.50 in non-agriculture, industrial and commercial establishments employing more than 10 workers.
For those employing less than 10 workers, the existing rate is P271.50.
Workers in the agriculture sector, meanwhile, are receiving daily minimum wages of P281.50 and P271.50 for plantation and non-plantation, respectively.
Cañete earlier called on both the labor and management representatives to "agree" for the Board to easily have a unified decision.
He said if they can come up with a new Wage Order today, it will then be subjected to the approval of Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre Bello III.
"Once approved, it will be published in local newspaper. The order will then take effect 15 days after publication," Cañete added.