Labor group to file wage hike petition March 14

MANILA – The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) is set to file a wage petition on March 14 amid skyrocketing fuel prices taking a toll on various sectors.

In a statement Friday, TUCP president Raymond Mendoza said they are now determining the appropriate amount for a wage increase to be petitioned to the wage boards.

“The TUCP is studying the matter deeply given the gravity of the gap between the minimum wage and the cost of living confronting our workers. We trust that government understands the urgency of the situation of our workers and will now look to the necessity of addressing the workers’ survival concerns during these dangerous and perilous times through genuine policy measures that bring down the cost of living and by providing a living wage – to save jobs and save lives,” Mendoza added.

The group, meanwhile, lauded the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) order for wage boards across the country to review current pay rates for private sector workers.

“We hope that is not just a mere ruse or strategy to diffuse growing tensions and the heightening unease as millions of Filipinos now face a survival problem,” Mendoza said.

He reiterated that the current wage rates are now “extremely inadequate”.

“We remind the government that there have been no wage increases in the past two years, and in other regions, no wage hike has been granted at all in the past three years, even as the buying power of the Philippine peso has been significantly eroded in the face of inflation,” he added.

He believed that the significant wage adjustments should have been done as early as 2019, a year before the pandemic.

“When we last filed in the Regional Wage Boards for a daily wage increase, we petitioned for a daily wage increase of anywhere from PHP600 to PHP900, depending on the region. Our petitions were premised on the need to provide at least a once-a-day nutritious meal for a family of five,” he added.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello earlier said the fuel price hikes which have been worsened by the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine may be a “compelling ground for the wage boards to recommend adjustments in the minimum wages of workers.”

He, however, said a wage adjustment must be done carefully to strike a balance between the need of workers and the existence of employers.