Labor dep’t warns firms: Follow new wage rates

The Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) has warned commercial establishments in Metro Manila to comply with the new minimum wage rates for their workers or face sanctions.

All labor inspectors were ordered to intensify their monitoring of commercial establishments to ensure compliance with the new minimum wage rates, the Labor department said.

The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards recommended a P25 wage increase for workers in Metro Manila last June 29 and the wage increase took effect July 1.

The DoLE advised commercial establishments to comply with the minimum wage law or face appropriate sanctions. Under the law, any corporation or person who refuses to pay the prescribed adjustments in the wage rates shall be meted a maximum fine of P100,000 or a four-year jail term, or both.

Erring employers will be required to indemnify their workers an amount equivalent to twice the value of their unpaid benefits.

The minimum wage in the NCR was pegged at P404 per day for non-agricultural workers and P367 for workers in agriculture, private hospitals with bed capacity of 100 or less, retail/service establishments with 15 or less markers and manufacturing establishments with less than 10 workers.

As in previous wage orders, a one-year exemption may be granted to certain types of establishments, such as distressed establishments, retail/service establishments regularly employing not more than 10 workers, establishments whose total assets are not more than P3 million, and establishments adversely affected by natural calamities. Mina Diaz, Daily Tribune