By Erwin Nicavera/Philippine News Agency
BACOLOD CITY — Labor groups in Negros Occidental are planning to file a formal petition for a minimum wage increase in Western Visayas in June, a month before the expiration of Wage Order No. 24 in July.
Wennie Sancho, secretary general of General Alliance of Workers Associations (GAWA), said on Tuesday they are requesting the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB)-6 to provide them with economic indicators to support the petition.
Sancho, also the labor representative to the RTWPB-6, added that he will discuss the filing of the petition during the board’s regular monthly meeting in Iloilo City on May 31.
“We will rebut if they have economic indicators that are not favorable for a wage increase,” he added.
The labor groups said they are considering to petition for an increase of up to PHP100 daily, higher than the initial plan of PHP73 per day.
The PHP73 is based on the initial computation of real wage of PHP301.65 plus the PHP10 worth of accumulated increases in the prices of petroleum products.
Given a nominal wage or the actual salary rate of PHP365, the real wage or the purchasing power of the workers is only PHP301.65. Thus, there is a need to restore PHP63.35 per day, they added.
However, there are other factors that will have to be considered like the cost of electricity and water so the increase should be higher, they added.
Under the existing wage order, the minimum wage rates in Western Visayas, including the cost of living allowance, range from PHP295 to PHP365 per day.
“After our meeting on Friday, (I) will meet with other labor groups to craft the final wage hike petition,” Sancho said.
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