P75 - P95 wage increase Too much for employers

GIVING P75 or P95 across the board wage increase in Bohol may be too much. As far as businessmen employers here are concerned, strictly implementing the June 16, 2005 wage order and probably an increase in the daily wage of P1 to P30 is good enough.

Earlier, the Alliance of Progressive Labor pushed for a P95 across the board increase while the Associated labor Union-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines hammered for P75 across the board daily increase. All of these while both citing increase of prices in basic commodities, petroleum and raising purchasing power of workers. With this, the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) gathered sentiments on the proposed increase. The Board hopes to strike a win-win situation that allows each labor and employers to grin and heave and sigh relief at the end of each working day.

The wage board fixes the minimum wage in the regions as a safety net against workers' exploitation by employers, said lawyer Hidolito Pascual, employee sector representative in the board. The RTWPB issued separate wage ceilings for Cebu cities, Cebu towns, Bohol and Negros Oriental as well as for the towns of Siquijor and Cebu islands.

“What is true is that less than 20% of businesses here do not give the minimum wage. If we could strictly implement the old minimum wage law, then that should be a start,” Boholano businessman owner of Miravilla and Bohol Association of Hotels, Resorts and Restaurants Chairman Mario Uy said. By that, Uy and businessmen belonging to the Bohol Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) mean strict implementation of the P200 per day for non-agriculture and P185 for agriculture workers.

It would be altogether useless to implement another across the board increase if establishments still pay way below and get away with it, hinted Uy. “It would be unfair to those who implement…” Uy stressed. During the Bohol public consultation held Thursday at the Jjs Seafoods Village , the Tripartite Industrial Peace Council, Philippine Mining and Sinter Corporation, Bohol Association of Catholic Schools I, BCCI and Bohol Quality Corporation each presented their positions and submitted position papers for review by the Board.

BCCI President Joseph Norris Oculam said the Chamber nods to 0-P30 across the board increase but hopes the Board can figure out a “one size fits all” formula that suits all Bohol industries. Putting in a heavy across the board increase in Bohol 's labor intensive industries may be disastrous to establishments, causing even more severe problems of unemployment with companies permanently closing shop due to bankruptcy.

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