Aquino gov’t urged: Hike wages

WITH the continuing increase of fuel prices and other commodities, a labor group is asking the government to implement another increase of wages.

President Noynoy Aquino’s administration has already failed in settling huge labor disputes, particularly with the Philippine Airlines management and their workers. Now, they challenge the president to at least answer the needs of the workers in terms of increase in wages, said the Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) in a statement.

“P-Noy should order the National Wages and Productivity Commission to act on the wage petitions, and certify the bills on legislated wage and security of tenure at Congress,” said Dennis Derige, PM-Cebu spokesman.

The group said that workers who keep the economy alive should be given assistance, especially during this time that they could barely buy their needs with their current minimum wage.

The PM-Cebu is expecting labor groups in Cebu to ask for a P125 wage increase.

In 2009 the Cebu Labor Coalition (CELAC) even asked for P128.60 wage increase for minimum waged workers in the Visayas.

But Joe Tomongha, chairman of  Alliance of Progressive Labor in an interview with TV Patrol Central Visayas, said the group had yet to meet to tackle how much increase it would seek and hadn’t filed a petition yet. /Correspondent Carine M. Asutilla