W. Visayas wage board may announce new wage order by June

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines—The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board in Western Visayas (RTWPB-6) may come out with a new wage order by June.

Wennie Sancho, RTWPB-6 labor representative, said the wage board had set three meetings in May and a new wage order could be out by June 14.

A consultation on the wage hike petitions will be held in Iloilo on May 18. Another hearing will be conducted in Bacolod on May 20. The final deliberation is scheduled on May 25.

Sancho said he was hoping that a substantial wage increase would be granted.

The wage board is hearing the petition of the Trade Union of Filipino Workers for a P97-wage hike. The National Congress of Unions in the Sugar Industry of the Philippines-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines is seeking a P99-wage increase in Western Visayas.

But Frank Carbon, president of the Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said they opposed any adjustment in wages now since it would further drive up prices of basic commodities.

He said the government should instead address the disparity of the prices of fuel between Negros Occidental and Metro Manila, which would go as high as P5 per liter.

“That is why the business sector is joining the transportation groups in a forum on Friday to discuss a concerted effort to press for action on their demand for government to address the fuel price disparity,” Carbon said.

Jesse Ortega, secretary general of the United Negros Drivers Operators Center, said the forum would be held at the Negros Occidental Multi-Purpose Gym in Bacolod at 2 p.m. on Friday.

Unlike their counterparts on Panay Island, he said they didn’t hold a transportation strike this week since they were set to discuss during the forum what protest action to take.

Public transport was paralyzed in two provinces in Iloilo, Aklan and parts of Antique Island on Tuesday on the second day of a two-day transport strike against oil price increases.

Public transport returned to normal in Capiz on Tuesday as transport groups in the province earlier declared that they were only capable of launching a one-day strike. <strong><em>With Nestor P. Burgos Jr., Inquirer Visayas</em></strong>