MANILA – The decision to issue new wage orders is under the jurisdiction of Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards (RTWPBs), an official of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said Thursday.
"We will leave it to the processes and mechanisms established in determining if there is a need to revise the existing minimum wages in the different regions," Undersecretary Benjo Benavidez said at the Laging Handa briefing when asked if there is a possibility that the wage boards will issue orders adjusting the salary of workers before May 1, Labor Day.
Under the Wage Rationalization Act, the minimum wage rates shall be established by the regional wage boards.
"What we know is that there are eight petitions filed and pending in the different RTWPBs in different regions," the DOLE official added.
The eight petitions were filed before wage boards in National Capital Region (NCR), Region 4-A (Calabarzon), Region 6 (Western Visayas), and Region 7 (Central Visayas).
In Metro Manila, the Kapatiran ng mga Unyon at Samahang Manggagawa filed a petition asking for PHP100 wage adjustment while the Unity for Wage Increase Now is seeking an increase of PHP571 for workers.
In Calabarzon, the Organisasyon ng mga Manggagawa sa EMI, and the Metal Workers Alliance of the Philippines, are asking for salary adjustments of PHP100 and PHP280, respectively.
Meanwhile, the United Labor-Western Visayas and the Iloilo Pepsi Cola Workers Independent Union are asking an increase of PHP100in their separate petitions before the wage boards in Western Visayas.
In Central Visayas, labor groups Cebu Labor Coalition et al. and the Partido Manggagawa et al. have petitioned an increase of PHPP292.50 and PHP100, respectively.
Workers are pointing to the soaring inflation rate in the country in pushing for salary increases ahead of Labor Day celebrations. (PNA)
