Wage increase public hearings start

THE Central Visayas wage board yesterday assured “transparency” as they held its first in a series of public consultations to help decide whether to increase the minimum wage.

Business, labor, academe and transport representatives gave their positions during the hearing.

Fajardo, an economics professor of the University of San Carlos, said that labor wages in Central Visayas were lower than in Metro Manila.

“The cost of living has no big difference but there’s a big gap in the wage. There should be a proportion,” he said.

The forum, to be held in other provinces, was conducted by the Regional Tripartite Wage and Productivity Board in Central Visayas (RTWPB 7).

The Department of Trade and Industry, National Economic Development Authority and Department of Energy presented the the status of prices of commoditie, showing an unstable trend of market prices.

The wage board is trying to determine whether there is a “supervening condition” to grant a wage increase earlier than a one-year limit from the last wage order.

The board can’t approve the wage hike petition filed by the Associated Labor’s Union-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) since the Labor Code only allows a wage increase once a year.

However, if “supervening conditions” like successive price increase of fuel and other basic commodities would occur and the inflation rate would increase up to 5 percent, the wage board can approve a wage increase.

DTI Regional Director Asteria Caberte was emotional as she pointed out “erroneous” allegations that she was biased in favor of management since she voted against a wage hike.

“My vote is very transparent and neutral. I take inputs from all sectors. I’m branded a loyalist to the management sector. That’s false,” she said.
Caberte said inflation was 4.6 percent last April in Central Visayas.

The board will hold other consultations in cities of Tagbilaran, Dumaguete and Siquijor next month. Reporter Candeze R. Mongaya