A few months back, labor groups and alliances tried pushing to increase the minimum contribution rate for the HDMF contribution. Now, unions and workers are teaming up as they are trying to shove up and make a P750 daily minimum wage effective.
Workers Associations, as well as Trade Unions under the Unity for Wage Increase (U-WIN) are pushing for a P750 daily minimum wage. Note that their appeal is only for the National Capital Region (NCR). Meaning, the daily minimum wage in other provinces and municipalities outside the NCR would be unaffected.
Except, of course, when a “nationwide” increase was petitioned.
Read: P710.00 Additional Wage, Petitioned by the TUCP
What is the current minimum wage?
Based on the latest data from the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC), the minimum daily wage of non-agriculture and agriculture workers are at P537.00.
Retail and/or service establishments (those employing 15 workers or less) and manufacturing institutions (10 workers or less) have a daily minimum wage of P500.00.
Read: Wage Hike of P25 For the Daily Basic Pay, Approved for NCR Workers
The U-WIN Alliance said that the current wage is too far from the recommended P1,008 living cost for a family with five (5) members.
Spokesperson for the U-WIN, Charlito Arevalo said that giving them 75 percent of the recommended amount is not even enough.
What we are asking is a mere relief for the Filipino workers and their families; only to avail at least 75 percent of the daily cost of living. It is not even commensurate to our labor productivity.”
Wage hike to P750 daily minimum wage
U-WIN Labor leaders filed a wage increase to the Regional Tripartite Wage Board (TWB) in Manila. In the petition they submitted, U-WIN explained that in total, a family’s expenses on housing, utilities, food, and medical expenses sit at P19,400 monthly.
That being said, that current daily minimum wage wouldn’t be enough. Before the increase back in 2018, the P512 basic daily minimum wage of workers were clearly insufficient.
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They were then granted an increase of P25 in their basic pay as well as a P10 hike in allowances. This time around, labor groups are asking for a P213 wage increase to achieve the P750 daily minimum wage.
Inflation in the NCR
In addition to their explanation, the petitioners said that the inflation that happened in the NCR still did not account for the increase these workers got. The P25 basic pay increase, would be figuring to 4.9 percent, which is still insufficient given that the inflation rate of last year was at 5.5 percent.
Meaning, the increase in the price of goods was a hindrance for families to be able to cover everything they need on a daily basis.
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KMU petitioned for a P750 daily minimum wage
A few months back, independent labor center Kilosang Mayo Uno (May First Labor Movement), also petitioned to have an increase to P750 for the minimum daily wage nationwide.
In a statement the made, they said that the wage increase will be one of their top and best demands for the Labor Day this year.
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Elmer Labog, KMU Chairperson said that workers experience hunger because of the minimum wage that stays unchanged. Labog said that the government had failed in addressing the highly-increasing process of goods by failing to increase the minimum wage of workers.
Hunger among workers continue to worsen as the measly minimum wage remains insufficient to feed our families. The government has not only failed to address the skyrocketing prices of goods by junking the TRAIN law, it also continues to deny our demand for a significant wage hike.”
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In addition to that, Labog also said that with the prices of goods continually increasing, the minimum wage of workers in the country should see a drastic change as well.
As long as wages remain pressed down and frozen to poverty levels, and prices of basic goods and services continue to shoot up, hunger among Filipino workers and their families would only worsen.”
What do you think about the petition of having a P750 daily minimum wage for workers in the NCR region? Do you think that with the government’s budget, they will be able to address this properly? Is this petition just right for the needs of every Filipino family?
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Or is the KMUs petition better, making the minimum wage in all of the country to be at P750 per day?
Source: Manila Bulletin News
