Fare rate drop included in wage hike hearing
The rollbacks in fare and fuel prices will be included in deliberations on the wage increase petition filed by a labor group scheduled on May 24.
Regional Director Ma. Gloria Tango of the Department of Labor and Employment in Central Visayas (DOLE-7) said they will also consider the reduction in prices of sardines and pandesal at the end of this month.
Tango, who also chairs the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board in Central Visayas (LTFRB-7), said the 90-wage hike petition filed by the Association of Labor Unions (ALU) was borne out of the rising fuel prices and fare rates.
The ALU cited the fuel prices and fare rates as supervening conditions that would justify the approval of another wage increase ahead of the one year period after the implementation of the last wage increase.
The last wage order was issued in September last year.
Tango said the board has yet to receive data on the prices of basic commodities from the Departments of Trade and Industry and Agriculture.
Tango said they also received reports from the DTI office in Manila that the price of canned sardines will be cut to P1.30 per can.
“We need data from DTI and DA if these new developments could affect the prices of basic commodities,” she said.
The fuel price rollback to P45 per liter prompted the Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to recall the P.50 provisional increase.
Regional LTFRB-7 director Ahmed Cuizon said he hadn’t received any complaints from the commuters.
Cuizon said it’s either the drivers didn’t know about the new development or they ignored the new LTFRB order. Cuizon said aggrieved commuters can call their hotline number 231-6221 and file a complaint against the erring driver.
He said passengers should bring loose coins so they pay the exact fare of P7.50. Correspondent Jhunnex Napallacan
