GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews / 22 Oct) – The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) in Region 12 has launched a review of the prevailing minimum daily wages of private workers as it considers another possible adjustment in the coming months.
Jessie dela Cruz, RTWPB-12 secretary, said Tuesday they conducted a public hearing and consultation here last week to “hear and assess the pulse” of labor, management and other concerned sectors on various wage issues.
He said the activity was joined by 282 representatives from the labor, management, and government sectors.
Dela Cruz said they reviewed the guidelines, rules and procedures on minimum wage fixing and the prevailing socio-economic condition in the region.
He said among the considerations for the setting of minimum wage are the needs of workers and their families; the capacity to pay of employers and industries; comparable wages; requirements for national development; and investments and employment generation activities.
“Aside from these factors, the board also considers the consumer price index, inflation rate, and poverty threshold as contributory factors in setting the minimum wage,” he said.
Dela Cruz said they already received the latest updates on the overall socio-economic situation in the region from the National Economic Development Authority-12, Department of Trade and Industry-12 and the Philippine Statistics Authority-12.
Sisinio Cano, DOLE-12 director and RTWPB chairperson, said they again launched the public consultation on the wage situation by their own initiative.
He said they have not received any petition so far from labor groups in the region regarding a proposed wage increase.
“We’re doing this on motu propio basis. The board has decided to review the existing minimum wage even in the absence of any petition,” he said.
Cano said they will convene anew sometime in November to review and to study the position papers submitted by labor and management sectors during the public hearing.
Private workers in the region last received a wage adjustment last year through Wage Order No. RB XII-20, which raised the region’s pay floor to P311 per day.
Workers in the non-agriculture sector received an increase of P16 in their daily pay while those in agriculture, retail and service establishments got an additional P18.
It set the new minimum daily wage rate for non-agriculture workers to P311 and those working in agriculture, retail and service establishments to P290. (MindaNews)