KMU on House backing bigger wage: ‘It’s possible it’s merely a lip service’
Protest action by members of labor groups KMU Metro Manila, Alma Kontraktwal and Defend Job Philippines for higher wages and against another round of fuel price hikes by oil companies held outside the Department of Trade and Industry main office. (INQUIRER file photo/LYN RILLON)
MANILA, Philippines — A labor group is taking a cautious stand on the proposal in House of Representatives for a daily minimum wage increase that is higher than the Senate-approved P100 hike.
Group Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) said it will remain alert of the possibility that this may be mere “lip service” from some government officials.
It also noted the P100 wage hike is a move in the right direction, but it is still insufficient for Filipino workers who are reeling from the high prices of goods in the market.
“What laborers really need is a wage they can live off of,” KMU Secretary-General Jerome Adonis told INQUIRER.net in a text message.
“This amounts to about P1,200 based on the actual prices of goods in the market,” Adonis computed.
In a previous report, research group IBON Foundation said the living wage for a family of five was P1,193 in January 2024.
The amount is about three times higher than the average nominal daily wage of P438 nationwide.
Adonis said they welcomed the House statement on increasing the proposed P100 wage hike, but they also want to see if lawmakers will follow through with their words.
“It’s possible that it’s merely lip service. But we will continue to challenge them because our claims for an increase in pay are legitimate,” Adonis said.
The Federation of Free Workers (FFW), for its part, also said the P100 wage hike is not enough.
“In light of the escalating cost of living and the enduring economic challenges posed by both global and local conditions, the proposed PHP 100 increase is starkly inadequate,” FFW Vice President Jun Mendoza said in a statement.
The group’s view comes, after House Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe said the House is eyeing a legislated wage hike ranging from P150 to P350 per day.
The Senate bill proposing the P100 wage increase among private workers in the country has passed the plenary hearing.
This means it is now up to the House to push the bill further so that it is enacted into law.
The House is set to hold a hearing on proposed wage hikes on February 28.
