MANILA — A labor organization on Thursday asked the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board-National Capital Region (RTWPB-NCR) for an additional PHP320 across-the-board in the salary of minimum wage earners in the private sector in Metro Manila.
In its three-page petition, Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) urged the regional wage board to increase the daily wage from the present PHP512 to PHP832.
“Wherefore, petitioner Trade Union Congress of the Philippines most respectfully prays for the granting of PHP320 daily wage increase for all private sector workers in NCR to be given across-the-board and region-wide,” the petition said.
They added that the petition is consistent with the House Bill 7805 filed by TUCP Partylist Rep. Raymond Mendoza which proposes the same increase in the minimum wages in all regions.
With this, the lawmaker noted that it is time for the wage board to give the adjustment in the salary of minimum wage workers since the current PHP512 is no longer enough for workers to support their daily needs.
“TUCP believes that a regional across-the-board wage increase of PHP320 is now needed in NCR because the existing PHP512 daily minimum wage is not enough for a household with at least five members to survive and to live a decent life,” Mendoza said in a statement.
On the other hand, TUCP vice president Manuel Corral explained the said amount was based on the pronouncement of the government that a family of five needs at least PHP42,000 a month to live decently.
He added that a family of five roughly needs PHP1,400 daily income to live decently.
“The PHP832 per day wage is still a ‘survival wage’ in Metro Manila given the soaring costs of rice, fuels, sardines, school supplies, education, medical support, transportation and all other basic goods and services due to the implementation of the TRAIN law, oil price increases, and dramatic peso depreciation,” the TUCP official said.
Corral added, “But we will still appreciate it if the wage board will grant our present petition.”
The last wage hike in Metro Manila was approved in September 2017 and took effect a month after.
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has earlier ordered all RTWPBs in the country to assess the prevailing minimum wage rates in their respective regions amid the rising in prices of basic goods and commodities. ( Ferdinand Patinio/PNA)
