THE General Alliance of Workers Association (Gawa) is now pushing for the abolition of the regional wage board for its alleged failure to address the issue on providing an immediate economic relief for workers in the private sector in Western Visayas at this time of economy crisis.
Wennie Sancho, Gawa secretary general, said it is high time that the regional wage board should be abolished.
He said Republic Act 6727, the law that created the regional wage board, should be repealed as it is no longer relevant to its wage-fixing functions at a time when the workers needed it most.
"We need action on the wage-related issues and not petition. Labor should lobby for the filing and passage of the Fuel Wage Shock Protection Law to institutionalize automatic wage relief for all minimum wage earners in the private sector," he added.
Sancho noted that the minimum wage workers are suffering not only in Western Visayas but across the country due to the immediate loss of their purchasing power as prices of diesel, gasoline and basic goods increased due to external shocks such as conflicts in the Strait of Hormuz.
Sancho said the existing wage setting mechanism set up by the regional wage board requires months of petition, hearing and wage consultations, leaving the workers defenseless while prices goes skyrocketing.
"It is the duty of the State to protect the erosion of the workers wages in line with the constitutional mandate that the State shall afford full protection to labor," he said.
He added that it is the duty of the legislators to assess what bills they should be filed to defend the rights and welfare of the workers.
Sancho stressed that the proposed Fuel Wage Shock Protection Law is a seatbelt on wages. It triggers a temporary shock allowance automatically when fuel, food prices breach set levels.
"No petition is needed to the Regional Wage Board. No delay due to wage hearings and consultations," Sancho said.
He said the payment for this shock allowance should be shared -- 50 percent by the employers, 30 percent by the government via excise and value added tax holidays, and 30 percent from Wage Shock Fund paid from oil windfall taxes.
He added that it shall cover all minimum wage earners regardless of status or position, no exception.
"This must be asserted by the labor sector because there is no wage order on sight and the workers could no longer wait," Sancho said.
He said that if there is money for the confidential intelligence fund and unprogramed projects, there should be money for the Wage Shock Fund to keep the workers alive.
"No increase in wages, no financial aid, or whatever scheme that would keep the workers' heads above water," he added. (MAP)
