Banana companies back moves for wage increase

EMPLOYERS belonging to the Philippine Banana Growers and Exporters Association Inc. (PBGEA) are requesting the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) to defer any increase in the minimum wages, insisting that their people are already properly compensated under collective management agreements (CBAs).

This developed as the RTWPB-Davao Region held its last public hearing at Sequioa Inn Tuesday.

“We are taking good care of our employees and because our member companies are unionized, they have existing collective bargaining agreements that are being implemented,” said Stephen Antig, executive director of PBGEA.

With P288 minimum wage of the agriculture industries, Antig said PBGEA corporate plantations’ economic adjustments are incorporated in their CBA with added benefits like housing, light subsidy, food/rice subsidies, medical allowance, hospitalization assistance, and educational subsidies that sums up to an average of P784.48 per day.

He added that because the industry is being threatened by the dreaded Fusarium Wilt, companies have a potential revenue loss of around P736 million and possible displacement of 2,000 workers.

“Ayaw naming gawin ito because of the difficulty of the situation. Mahirap maghanap ng trabaho ngayon at lalo na December pa ngayon. Double whammy ang mangyayari sa amin niyan if there will be indeed an increase of minimum wage,” Antig said.

Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry Incorporated (DCCCII) also pointed out in its position paper to let the business recover first, before it is burdened by another round of wage increase, and that RTWPB should consider basic factors in determining the appropriateness of any minimum wage increase in the private sector.

They also urge the government agencies, resource facilities for their support to private enterprises to attain productivity.

According to Joffrey Suyao, regional director of the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) in Davao Region has decided to motu propio undertake the process of reviewing Wage Order No. RTWPB-XI-16 issued last September 1, 2010.

He added that both Dole and RTWPB have been constantly reviewing and monitoring wage order no. 16 thus the public hearing.

The first leg of the public hearing was done at the Bulwagan ng Lalawigan in Tagum with 94 attendees from the labor and management sector groups.

During the public hearing, both the labor and management sectors were given time to read their position papers or speak before the panel.

No position papers for a wage increase were submitted before the hearing started. But the Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) was able to rush theirs around 4 p.m. while the hearing was already going on.

The ALU-TUCP urged the board members to approve the increase of minimum wage for the coming year because of following reasons: continuing oil price increase that also affect the prices of basic commodities; school expenses are also increasing because of the increase in transportation from time to time; and other expenses like electric, medical and hospital bills.

A representative from Davao Sugar Central Co. Inc. also said the board should approve the wage increase because this contributes to labor productivity for the company. –Carmelle Marie Harrow, Sun Star