‘Go after Metro Cebu wage violators’

CEBU CITY, Philippines  – The regional office of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) must seriously look into its own findings that 22 percent of 2,200 establishments it had inspected in Metro Cebu did not implement the recent adjustment in the minimum wage.

Cebu City Councilor Nida Cabrera urged DOLE-Region 7 to take legal actions against the 500 establishments found violating the minimum wage law.

Early last month, DOLE-Region 7 released the results of its survey of 2,200 establishments in Metro Cebu to determine which companies were not complying with the P285 minimum wage.

The DOLE regional office found 500 business establishments to be still paying their workers P265 per day, disregarding the Regional Wage Board Order No. 15 which increased the daily minimum wage by P18.

The establishments surveyed comprised 26 percent of all businesses and establishments operating in Metro Cebu.

In last Friday’s city council session, Cabrera filed a resolution requiring the council’s intervention into the malpractices of these business owners.

Cabrera said the survey findings must be seriously looked into, especially that the violating establishments only used the excuse that they were not aware of the new wage hike. –Jessica Ann Pareja (The Philippine Star)