The Iloilo chapter of Partido Manggagawa (PM) criticized the P30 hike in minimum wages for Western Visayas as “too little, too late.”
Mario Andon, PM-Iloilo spokesperson said that the wage increase failed to meet the demand for a P100 wage recovery.
“Sa kabila ng increase, ang tunay na halaga (real wage) ng minimum wage ngayon ay P383 lamang batay sa 2018 na base year ng inflation. Ibig sabihin, may utang pang P97 ang mga kapitalista at ang gobyerno sa mga manggagawa para mabawi ang nawalang halaga ng sahod,” said Andon.
The P97 loss in purchasing power is the difference in the nominal wage of P480 and the real wage of P383.
The increase sets the new minimum wage in the region to P480 for non-agricultural firms with more than 10 workers, P450 for establishments with 10 workers or less, and P440 for agricultural workers.
“Kulang ang umentong ito ito para sa isang kilong bigas sa isang araw. Hindi rin ito makababawi ng nawala na at patuloy pang nawawalang halaga ng sahod ng manggagawa sa rehiyon,” stated Andon.
He also criticized the numerous wage classifications in the region that make enforcement and compliance very complicated, notwithstanding the blanket exemption available for firms employing not more than 10.
“Para na ring bigas na may regular, well-milled, at premium na klasipikasyon ang sistema ng pasweldo sa bansa dahil kahit nasa iisang kalagayan lamang sa buhay ang mga manggagawa sa isang rehiyon ay magkakaiba ang halaga ng kanilang sweldo,” lamented Andon.
PM argued that the wage hike in Western Visayas and other regions mirror the structural defects of the prevailing wage system in the country under RA 6727 where the financial health of employers is given more importance than the workers’ capacity to live and their right to a rising standard of living.
“Kung mayroon mang hindi makatwiran at mapang-abusong price control na ipinatutupad sa bansa noon pa man, hindi ito ang P41-P45 per kilo na ipinapataw ngayon sa presyo ng bigas kundi sa presyo at tamang pasweldo sa mga manggagawa,” bewailed Andon, pointing to how the economic managers justifies the price caps on rice today but objecting to wage hikes because it would do more harm on the economy.
Andon asserts that the need to shift to battle for a legislated wage hike and reforms in the wage-setting mechanisms in the country.
Pending before Congress are the P150-P750 wage hike bills.
Senators, including Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, vowed to pass the measure while the House of Representatives has yet to conduct hearings on the pending wage hike bills.
