RTWPB TO ACT ON MERITS OF PAY HIKE PETITION

Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board Chair Cañete says board will consider all issues raised by labor groups Celac, ALU-TUCP say there is need for wage increase following second tranche of Train Law

The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) may decide, in its regular session Monday, Jan. 7, the merits of the petition for wage increase filed by the labor sector.

RTWPB Chairman Johnson Cañete told Sun.Star Cebu that all the issues raised by the labor sector will be discussed.

Joe Tomungha, RTWPB labor sector representative, said the supervening event that would warrant deliberations are high prices of commodities, lower purchasing power of the peso, inflation rate, and high Consumer Price Index (CPI).

The Cebu Labor Coalition (Celac) asked for a P155.80 across-the-board daily wage adjustment, while the Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALUTUCP) is asking for a P120 daily wage increase.

The two groups are also in unison that there is a need to raise the minimum wage because of the rapidly increasing prices of basic commodities following the continuous implementation of the Tax Reform Acceleration and Inclusion (Train) Law.

The Train Law was implemented on Jan. 1, 2018. Train imposed an excise tax on coal and sweetened beverages, and increased the excise taxes on automobiles, petroleum products and tobacco. The second tranche of the Train Law was implemented last Jan. 1, 2019 in the amount of P2 additional tax per liter of diesel and gasoline.

Arthur Barrit of ALU-TUCP said they want a P120 daily wage increase because the buying power of the wage earners has gone down further with the implementation of the Train Law.

However, Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Antonio Chiu said in an earlier interview that the RTWPB should consider the situation of micro, small and medium enterprises which cannot afford an increase in wages.