Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro

Employers given 3 months to apply new minimum wage

- By PJ Orias

The Department of Labor and Employment in Northern Mindanao (DOLE-10) said it will give the business sector three months to implement the new wage order which raises the pay of minimum wage workers beginning last July 16, this year.

The new wage order came after the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivi­ty Board (RTWPB) in Northern Mindanao issued wage order no. 19 granting workers an P20 increase of their pay.

Estrella Pahalla, DOLE10 assistant regional director, said they will give the business sector 3 months before Labor Laws Compliance Officers (LLCOs) start inspecting or checking the companies for compliance.

Pahalla, however, said they are expecting an 85 percent compliance or even higher.

“We don’t have a figure yet, pero based on past records of compliance sa orders, meron tayong 70-85 percent compliance, and even higher. This is because we have been very massive in our advocacy for the compliance of labor standards in region 10, from public hearings to meetings with our partners,” she said.

Pahalla added that so far, its office hasn’t received any protests or formal complaints yet for the wage hike implementa­tion.

“There are no protests, and I hope there will be none in the future, because our wage order, before it was issued, it was deliberate­d on with so much enthusiasm from labor and management sector representa­tives by the wage board,” she said.

“We have weighed the wage increase na hindi magre-react ang workers at employers, ang pinoprotek­tahan ng labor department in the long run is the employment situation of the region. But the wage board really acted wel and did its job, because both sectors that sat down during the deliberati­on were very happy with the amount that came up,” Pahalla added.

Under the new wage order, non-agricultur­e workers in Cagayan de Oro, Iligan City, Tagoloan, Villanueva, and Jasaan will now earn P338 daily, while agricultur­al workers in the same areas will now earn P326 daily from P306 daily.

Non-agricultur­e workers in Malaybalay City, Valencia, City, Gingoog City, El Salvador City, Ozamiz City, Opol, Maramag, Quezon, and Manolo Fortich will earn P331 per day, while agricultur­al workers in the same towns and cities will also earn P319 daily. For Oroquieta City, Tangub City, Lugait, Laguinding­an, and Mambajao, non-agricultur­al earners will get P323 daily while agricultur­al workers in the same areas earn P311 daily.

All other areas that are not covered under the categories, including all retail and service establishm­ents employing not more than 10 workers will earn P316 daily for non-agricultur­al workers and P304 daily for agricultur­al workers.

The order however does not cover domestic workers or kasambahay­s under Batas Kasambahay (RA 10361), and workers of Barangay Micro Business Enterprise­s (BMBEs) registered under Go Negosyo Act (RA 10644).

The RTWPB clarified that distressed establishm­ents, or those adversely affected by natural calamities and human-induced disasters might be exempted from the wage increase.

 ??  ??

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Philippines