Wage hike public hearing set in NorMin
The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board-Northern Mindanao (RTWPB-10) is holding a month-long public hearing on minimum wage adjustment in the region which will begin today, August 3, at Hotel de Susana and Restaurant in Valencia City, Bukidnon.
Part of the public hearing is the petition filed by the Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the
Philippines (ALUTUCP) yesterday, which seeks for a P320 acrossthe-board wage increase for private sector workers in Northern Mindanao.
After Bukidnon, the series of hearings will subsequently happen at Bethany Gardens Hotel and Restaurant in Ozamis City, Misamis Occidental (August 8); Plaza Alemania Hotel, Iligan City (August 9); Villa Paraiso Resort in Mambajao, Camiguin (August 14); Eastland Restaurant in Gingoog City, Misamis Oriental (August 23); and Grand Caprice Restaurant, Cagayan de Oro City (August 29).
Nicandro Borja-ALUTUCP Director for Operations, said they are hopeful that the RTWPB will grant their petition so workers in the region can restore their purchasing power and cope with the increasing cost of living.
In a five-page petition, the labor group said the daily minimum wage of workers will then become P658 once the RTWPB approves the petition.
Borja said the last increase in the daily basic wage granted by RTWPB was last July 16, 2017 with P15 making the existing minimum wage now of P338.
“From 2001 to 2016, the productivity study states that labor productivity went up by 60 percent while the real wage increases remained at zero,”Borja said.
“Hinaot unta nga dili nami tagaan anang sinsilyo lang nga increase nga P5 or P10 at least siguro P120 para maka-cope up ang atong mga workers sa increasing prices (We hope that we’ll not be given an increase of just P5 or P10 at least P120 will do so workers can cope with increasing prices),”he added.
Borja reiterated that the existing minimum wage in the region is no longer sufficient for workers to live a decent life as the prices of basic commodities and services continue to skyrocket also because of the effect of the government’s Train Law.
“Kana ganing P658 maglisod pa gani gihapon kay below poverty line pero ang among gipangayo is sakto-sakto ra gyud na (Even the P568 is still below poverty line but we are asking just enough),”Borja said.