Central Luzon workers seek P30 pay hike

WORKERS’ DEMAND A protester joins a rally in May in front of the House of Representatives to press for a law that would raise minimum daily wage to P750 and junk measures that would further increase prices of basic commodities. —GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — Expecting new pay rates to be given in the third quarter of 2018, Central Luzon workers have asked the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board to increase the region’s daily minimum wage by P30.

But employers said workers’ pay should rise between P15 and P20 only.

The board would need to balance the welfare of workers and viability of businesses when it deliberates on final minimum pay raise, said Zenaida Angara-Campita, regional director of the Department of Labor and Employment and chair of the wage board.

The wage board held consultations in the provinces of Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales.

The consultations were attended by 178 labor and management representatives of 130 companies.

TRAIN blamed

Workers complained of the high prices of food, fuel and other basic commodities, which they attributed to the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Act (Republic Act No. 10963).

In April last year, the wage board approved a P16 increase, setting the daily minimum wage at P380 for nonagricultural firms with P30 million or more in assets and P373 for companies with less than P30 million in assets.

The current minimum wage levels in Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales are: P350 in agriculture plantations, P334 in agriculture nonplantation areas, P369 in the retail and service industries with 16 or more workers, and P355 for retail and service enterprises employing less than 16 workers.

P750 minimum wage

In Aurora, the prevailing minimum wages are: P329 in nonagriculture enterprises, P314 in agriculture plantations, P302 in agriculture but nonplantation areas, and P264 for retail and service stores with less than 16 workers.

Militant labor groups are demanding that Congress legislate a minimum wage of at least P750 but employers opposed it. —Tonette Orejas