REPRESENTATIVES of labor groups yesterday pressed the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) – National Capital Region (NCR) to grant the P100 wage hike petition during a public hearing in Pasay City.
In a statement after the public hearing at the Philippine Trade Training Center, the Partido Manggagawa said the labor sector is insisting on the grant of the wage petition of the Kapatiran ng mga Unyon at Samahang Manggagawa (Kapatiran) filed last December 6.
“As of January 2023, workers have lost P88 in the value of the P570 minimum wage due to inflation. Thus, P100 is necessary to recover the purchasing power of workers’ wages,” said PM Secretary General Judy Miranda.
“This wage hike demand is merely wage recovery. We are not yet even talking of workers claiming a just share in the fruits of their labor,” she added.
The labor leader said the workers’ demands must be granted, adding they have been patient enough to wait for the action of the wage board.
She said it is unacceptable that it took the NCR wage board more than six months before acting on the petition.
“The NCR wage board and the Department of Labor and Employment have dragged its feet on the wage hike demand for half a year already,” she said.
“Like Mayon Volcano, workers are restive over the high prices and low wages. The NCR wage board should grant the demand for a wage hike if it wants to calm the seething social volcano,” added Miranda.
As for the employers’ sector, PM slammed their counterparts for their penchant to come out with “horror stories” on the supposed adverse effects of salary adjustments.
Miranda said claims of employers that a wage hike will lead to higher inflation and more unemployment have been proven as lies.
“These are just horror stories peddled by employers without basis in science. Studies have shown that wage hikes do not result in any significant inflation or unemployment effects,” she said.
“We ask that employers moderate their greed so that everybody benefits from a salary increase,” Miranda added.
The last wage hike granted by the NCR wage board was issued in May 2022 and took effect in June 2022.
