AMID the rising prices of basic goods and services, the regional wage boards started reviewing pending wage petitions in each region, according to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
In a virtual press briefing last Wednesday, Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III disclosed that he ordered all of the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards (RTWPBs) to start assessing the economic indicators and consultation of major stakeholders in their jurisdictions.
“They should be activated because they have a pending petition for wage increase. One of them is asking for P750 minimum wage per day and the same minimum wage for all regions,” Bello said.
DOLE said the “skyrocketing prices of oil products” caused by the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict “may be a compelling ground for the wage boards to recommend adjustments in the minimum wages of workers.”
Real wage
BELLO acknowledged that the existing minimum wage rates nationwide are no longer enough for the needs of many workers. As of February, data from the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) showed the “real wage” (wage adjusted for inflation) in the National Capital Region (NCR) is now only at P494.02. Meanwhile, real minimum wages in other regions range from P266.09 to P370.70.
Bello said the RTWPBs are expected to start their wage rate reviews during the last week of March and will complete such by next month.
“We need to be careful with the wage adjustment to strike a balance between the needs of workers and the existence of employers,” Bello said.
Job preservation
HE denied criticism that the current administration is the most “stingy” when granting minimum wage hike, especially during the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. “We were focused on the preservation of employment because many [workers] lost their jobs and companies were forced to shutdown or reduced their operation. Our employers cannot afford wage increases in 2020 and 2021,” Bello said.
To note, no RTWPB issued a new order increasing minimum wage rates in their jurisdiction last year, as companies continue to reel from the quarantine restrictions caused by the pandemic.
Image credits: Nonoy Lacza