Wage boards still processing 9 wage hike petitions – DOLE
MANILA, Philippines— A total of nine wage increase petitions filed between December 2022 and April 2023 in four regions are still being processed under their respective Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards (RTWPBs), according to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
“Ito po ay pinoproseso po ng iba’t ibang regional boards kung saan po nakahain yung petitsyon,” DOLE Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma said in a Senate hearing on wage hikes.on Wednesday.
(These are still being processed by the different regional boards where the petitions were filed.)
Two petitions were filed in Metro Manila,, two in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon), two in Western Visayas, and three in Central Visayas. All petitions were filed by unions and workers organizations, according to the labor department.
As of Wednesday, the petitions are still awaiting RTWPB’s assessment of the economic conditions in the region as it continues consultations with the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), DOLE, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), and the Department of Agriculture (DA).
Workers behind both Calabarzon petitions have yet to amend their documents to include capacity to pay, most recent fair hike, comparative analysis on the living wage, and requested increase, according to DOLE.
Petitioners from Central Visayas expect wage board consultations with the DA and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to continue on May 15, while those from Western Visayas await RTWPB deliberations set for May 16.
