Nov. 21, 2016 — The country’s Regional Tripartite Wage and Productivity Boards (RTWPBs) have dutifully issued minimum wages in their regions, but they have taken the line of least resistance and adopted the very low road to development. They pride themselves in having mandated wages not too far from regional poverty levels.

Nov. 21, 2016 —  The country’s Regional Tripartite Wage and Productivity Boards (RTWPBs) have dutifully issued minimum wages in their regions, but they have taken the line of least resistance and adopted the very low road to development.  They pride themselves in having mandated wages not too far from regional poverty levels. They have been effectively steered away from seriously incorporating issues of living wages, inclusion, inequality, and even productivity, in their discussions and decisions.  They have neglected the “equitable distribution of income and wealth xxx” as one of the standards/criteria for minimum wage fixing.  As a result, workers purchasing power has been held back in contributing to much faster economic growth.  Where is the workers’ share from the 7.1% increase in real GDP?