The National Capital Region Wage Board has approved a P25-increase in the minimum wage of workers in Metro Manila, a labor group claimed Wednesday.
But Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Silvestre Bello III refused to confirm this.
Alan Tanjusay, spokesperson of Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP), said the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (Ecop) made the announcement on the wage increase on Tueday night.
“Gusto naming tumugon sa anunsyo ng Ecop kagabi na umano ay nagdadag na raw ng P25 pesos yung National Capital Region Wage Board kahapon matapos ang deliberation,” Tanjusay said in an interview over DZMM.
“Ito ‘yung decision ng wage board matapos ang mahabang debate kahapon. Akala namin nga si Labor Secretary Bello ang mag-aanunsyo pero inunahan na ng Ecop ang pag-anunsyo na mayroong 25 pesos (omento),” he added.
Tanjusay, however, said they are waiting for DOLE’s official announcement on the issue.
But Bello refused to confirm the information. He said he has not received yet the recommendation of the regional board on the wage adjustment as well as the supposed order of the wage increase from the National Capital Region Wage Board.
When asked to confirm the wage hike, Bello answered: “Hindi.”
“Sa akin kasi, hindi pa nagsa-submit ‘yung Regional Wage and Productivity Board. They were supposed to submit their recommendation on wage adjustment kahapon sa commission — ‘yung National Wage and Productivity Commisison (NWPC). ‘Yun ang mag-a-approve sa recommendation nila. Chairman ako dyan,” Bello said in an interview over DZBB.
Bello added that he has not likewise received any recommendation from the NWPC regarding the matter.
“Puro naririnig ko, puro unofficial eh, and I cannot rely on unofficial statements kagaya ‘yung kay Mr. Ortiz (from Ecop). Hindi ko alam kung saan niya nakuha ‘yung kanyang figure,” Bello said.
If the P25-increase in the minimum wage is indeed official, the amount is way smaller than the P334-wage increase proposed by the ALU-TUCP. /kga