TUCP stands pat on P75 daily wage hike demand

MANILA, Philippines—The moderate labor group Trade Union Congress of the Philippines stood pat on its demand that the Metro Manila regional wage board give workers a P75 minimum wage increase.

“The TUCP urges the Regional Tripartite Wage and Productivity Board-National Capital Region members to do their job efficiently. If they can’t, they should resign,” TUPC deputy spokesman Raffy Mapalo told reporters.

Mapalo said the TUCP conveyed its position on the P75 wage increase during the first hearing conducted by the wage board on Monday.

“A pittance wage increase will not be acceptable. The current situation wherein too many get too few or too little of the country’s resources cannot and should not continue. Workers in NCR deserve P75, nothing less,” he said.

Raymundo Agravante, the labor department’s NCR director and concurrent RTWPB chair, said the body would want to finish its deliberations and come out with a decision by the second week of this month.

Under Republic Act No. 6727 or the Wage Rationalization Act of 1989, wage hike orders approved by the board only take effect 15 days after publication. Any appeal must be filed within the next 10 days and the National Wages and Productivity Commission is required to issue a ruling within 60 days.

Ed Lacson, president of the Employers’ Confederation of the Philippines told the Radyo Inquirer (dzIQ) on Tuesday that Metro Manila companies would find it “difficult” to grant a P75-wage increase. He said the wage boards should also consider the employers’ capacity to give an increase. –Jerome Aning, Philippine Daily Inquirer