TUCP warns govt vs slamming door on wage hike petition

Hungry workers are angry workers.

On this note, a labor confederation on Friday warned the government against summarily dismissing petitions for a wage increase amid rising costs of living.

“If government will be callous magagalit ang manggagawa (the workers will get angry). Hungry workers are angry workers,” Trade Union Congress of the Philippines secretary-general Ernesto Herrera said in an interview on dwIZ radio.

Cited rising costs of basic goods and impending fare hikes, the TUCP is planning to file a petition for a wage increase, hiking the minimum salary by P75 in Metro Manila.

However, the National Wages and Productivity Board (NWPB) said it will not entertain petitions for a wage increase from any labor group because it has just implemented a P22 wage hike in July last year.

The NWPB cited a Labor Department rule barring another DOLE-initiated wage increase within one year after the granting such a pay hike.

The NWPB only considers such petitions, despite the one-year prohibition rule, when an unusual event, disorder, or calamity happens.

“It will be very irresponsible to say we are closing the door to any petition for wage increase … Kung may extraordinary development na nag-distort sa purchasing power kailangan mag-grant if justifiable grant another wage increase,” Herrera said.

(If there are extraordinary developments that distort purchasing power, a justifiable wage hike should be granted.)

He also said while the labor sector is “very patient,” it can become agitated especially if government shows “arrogance” by shooting down calls for a wage hike this early.

“We do not want to provoke unrest. The labor sector in this country is very patient,” he said.

Herrera said the TUCP is open to supporting a legislated wage hike.

Anakpawis Rep. Rafael Mariano has a pending House bill for a P125 wage hike.

“We are supporting any initiative (in) Congress,” he said, adding that he had authored the last legislated wage increase in 1989.

DOLE: Price hikes no impact on real minimum wages

However, Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz insisted that increases in the prices of basic commodities and services have no impact yet on real minimum wages.

“In 2010, the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards (RTWPBs) have issued 15 new wage orders granting additional daily wage increase ranging from P5.00 to P22.00. These wage increases have not yet been generally affected by increases in the prices of goods and services,” Baldoz said in an article posted Friday on the DOLE website.

“Thus, as of today, there has been very minimal erosion in real minimum wages,” she added.

She also described as “high” the wage increase of P55 being asked by the TUCP.

Besides, the regional wage board in the NCR can only entertain a wage increase petition in July, she said.

“The rules on minimum wage fixing provide that a wage order may not be disturbed for 12 months and no petition for wage increase shall be entertained within the period, except in the event of supervening conditions. So, the regional wage board in the NCR can only entertain a wage increase petition in July,” she said.

She added only Eastern Visayas has yet to issue a wage order as it had not concluded its sectoral consultations and public hearings.

Cagayan Valley is set to deliberate on the wage issue on January 19 and issue its wage order thereafter.

“The NWPC (National Wages and Productivity Commission) and the RTWPBs continues to monitor the supply and price levels of basic commodities as they affect the incomes of workers. They regularly submit reports to the Commission and the DOLE Secretary,” Baldoz said.

Wage and price situationer

Baldoz cited a wage and price situationer report of the NWPC, where inflation remained at three percent as of December last year.

This was lower than the 2010 inflation target range of 3.5 percent to 5.5 percent, she said.

For 2011, inflation is forecast to remain between 3 to 5 percent, she added.

Baldoz said prices of food products remain stable, except for refined sugar, the price of which has doubled from P36/kilo in January 2009 to P65/kilo in January 2011, and possibly bread (pan de sal) if there is continued increase in the prices of raw materials, such as flour and sugar.

For non-food items, Baldoz observed that the DBCC’s assumption for 2011 is that world oil prices will range from US$75 to US$95 per barrel, a basis for its inflation outlook.

For water, Baldoz said there is no indication yet from the water companies of any increase in water rates.

For power, there has already been a net reduction of 27 centavos per kilowatt hour (kwh) in electric rates in January because of generation, transmission, and distribution charges.

On transportation fares, the NWPC has reported that the Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) had approved a P10 increase in the flag down rate of taxis to P40 and a P1 increase in the charge for every succeeding 300 meters to P3.50.

For regular buses, there is a petition by the INTERBOA for a P5.00 increase for the first five kilometres and a P0.70 increase in the charge for the succeeding kilometers.

Southern Luzon bus operators have also a petition for a P2.50 increase in the main fare.

For aircon buses, the INTERBOA has a petition for a P6.00 increase in the fare for the first five kilometres and a P0.70 increase in the charge for the succeeding kilometres.

On the other hand, jeepney operators belonging to the ALTODAP, FEJODAP, LTOP, NTU-Transporter in the NCR and Region IV-A have filed a petition for a P1.00 increase in the fare for the first four kilometers and a P0.10 increase in the charge for the succeeding kilometers. – VVP, GMANews.TV