MEMBERS of the National Congress of Unions in the Sugar Industry of the Philippines (Nacusip) asserted on Friday that workers and employees in the private sector in Western Visayas should be paid P364 per day.
During the hearing conducted by the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) Friday, Nacusip president Zoilo dela Cruz said that with the rising prices of basic commodities due to high prices of fuels, workers must be given a daily wage increase of P99 per day.
The present daily minimum wage for Western Visayas is P265 per day.
De la Cruz said the purchasing power of the workers must be given strength to cope with the rising prices.
However, the business sector in the province stood firm on its bid for the P7 Emergency Cost of Living allowance (Ecola).
During his presentation at the hearing Friday, Frank Carbon of the Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI) warned that more businesses will close down or retrench some of their employees if employers will be compelled to pay more than P7 Ecola to their workers.
MBCCI’s position was also supported by the Amity Club of Negros and the Bacolod Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The RTWPB is set to conduct another hearing on the wage increase petition on May 25.
RTWPB Chairman Manuel Roldan, Department of Labor and Employment director for Western Visayas, said they might come up with the decision on wage increase for the region before the end of May.
He added that the wage board will assess all the petitions and position papers presented by the management and the labor sides all over the region to come up with the decision on how much increase should be granted for employees and workers in the region. (Teresa Ellera-Dulla)
