THE Philippine Agricultural, Commercial, and Industrial Workers Union-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (Paciwu-TUCP) has expressed optimism that their petition for wage increase in
Negros Island Region (NIR) will be granted by at least P80 per day.
On August 30, Paciwu-TUCP filed a petition before the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) in Negros Occidental for a daily wage increase of P101.34, P90.61, and P86.87 for workers
in the private sector.
Noel Alisen, executive national vice chairman of Paciwu-TUCP, presented their petition during the public consultation held at the Sugar Workers Development Center in Bacolod City Friday,
September 30.
He said they are hoping for a positive response from the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) Region 6 amid the concerns raised by the management sector.
Alisen added that even though it is already expected that the board will not fully grant the proposed increase, it should provide wage improvement every year.
"It is certain that the board will slash the increase that we are asking, but hopefully not to the extent of another P11.50 daily increase. For the wage hike to be reasonable it should not be less
than P80,” the union leader said.
In their petition, Paciwu-TUCP prayed for wage adjustments resulting to P399.84 per day for commercial establishments employing more than 10 employees; P357.11, plantation with more
than 24 hectares; and non-plantations and plantations with 24 hectares and below.
Currently, non-agriculture workers in Negros Occidental, and Panay Island receive P298.50 per day for firms with more than 10 employees, and P256.50 for those with 10 employees and below.
For the agriculture sector, it is P266.50 for plantation workers and P256.50 for non-plantations.
Alisen reiterated that the petition is “actually a restoration of the laws on purchasing power of peso only, not an increase."
During the consultation, business group representatives have cited some “inconsistency” in the petition filed by Paciwu-TUCP.
Alfredo Barcelona, president of Bacolod Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said they want to be further clarified on the classification of workers and categories of salary
increases.
Alan Gozon, president of Democratic Association of Labor Organization, also raised question whether the wage increase cover those workers in the “pakyaw” system.
Dole-Region 6 Director Salome Siaton, chairman of RTWPB-6, advised both workers and businessmen to put into writing all their concerns and submit them to the them.
Siaton said the Wage Board will further study these concerns, which still be subjected to a series of hearings.
RTWPB-6 is set to conduct the first public hearing on the proposed wage increase for Western Visayas, including Negros Occidental, in Bacolod City on October 14.
The National Wages and Productivity Commission had earlier ordered the RTWPB-6 to cover anew Negros Occidental, pending the creation of Wage Board for NIR.
“Currently, this is the only wage petition filed in Western Visayas and Negros Occidental, but we have yet to conduct motu propio consultations in other provinces,” Siaton said.
As to when will the wage increase be granted, the labor official replied, “we cannot assure if it will be this year.”