Wage hike petitions filed in 4 more regions

IMAGE: Daniella Marie Agacer

At least eight minimum wage hike petitions have so far been filed in four of the country’s 17 regions, as more labor groups press for higher wage adjustments amid rising living costs.

The petitions are pending with the regional tripartite wages and productivity boards of Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Western Visayas and Central Visayas, according to Labor Undersecretary Benjo Benavidez.

“We are letting the process and mechanism take [their] course and see if there is a need to revise the existing minimum wage,” he said on Thursday.

The wage hike petitions were filed either last February or March, except for one that was filed with the Metro Manila wage board last December.

In Metro Manila, one petition asked for a P100 wage increase for all regularly employed workers, while another petition asked that the daily minimum wage be set at P1,141 from the current P570.

Other requests

A petition was also filed for a P100 across-the-board wage increase for Calabarzon workers, and another asked that the daily minimum wage in the region be set at P750 from the current range of P350 to P470.

In Western Visayas, a petition asked that the daily minimum wage in the region be raised to P550 from the current P410 to P450. In Central Visayas, trade unions petitioned for a P100 across-the-board wage increase, while another group petitioned for a P292.50 wage adjustment in the current daily wage of P382 to P435.

The United Domestic Workers of the Philippines also asked for a P1,000 increase in the monthly wage of household helpers in the region.

The four wage boards have yet to hold any hearings on the petitions, according to the group Partido Manggagawa (PM).

PM and other labor groups have called on Congress to legislate a P100-increase in the daily minimum wage nationwide.

Last year, 16 regional wage boards approved an increase in the daily minimum wage, which took effect last June.

Domestic workers also benefited from the wage boards’ order for higher wages effective June last year.

Wage boards can only act on wage petitions a year after the last wage order.

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