LAWMAKERS have cited the need for thorough deliberations on the wage hike bills filed at the House of Representatives “to ensure fair and balanced regulations that consider the interests of all parties involved, including the country’s economic growth.”
In a related development, Commission on Human Rights (CHR) welcomed the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board’s (RTWPB) proposal to raise the minimum monthly wage for household workers in Central Visayas.
The legislators led by Rizal Rep. Juan Fidel Felipe Nograles, chair of the House Committee on Labor, said his panel has scheduled discussions of two important segments of the wage hike measures on Wednesday.
One bill proposes P150 to P350 wage increase, while the other bill seeks to institutionalize a P750- across-the-board adjustment in the salary rates of workers in the private sector.
“We are also set to review measures seeking to amend Articles 121 to 127 of the Labor Code of the Philippines,” Nograles disclosed.
He added that he feels no pressure in spite of the Senate’s call for the House to act on the wage hike proposals.
He said they were instructed by Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez to conduct a comprehensive study of the wage hike proposals, including the inflationary effects of each measure.
Aside from inflation, Nograles also cited other factors that should be considered such as wage distortion; wage increases that can be passed on to consumers, potentially affecting micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs); and retrenchment, which could also hurt the economy.
“The wage hike (proposal) is a complicated subject because it involves supply and demand. There is your economy, there is your inflation. So we need to study and listen carefully to all the parties that will be affected by the wage increase,” Nograles said in Filipino. Deputy Speaker and Quezon Rep. David Suarez echoed Nograles’ views.
He stressed that the wage hike is a perennial issue, and gave people assurance that the House of Representatives will carefully consider the significant implications of the proposals on various stakeholders, including consumers, businesses, and the economy.
“The Commission believes that an adequate wage increase for household workers is more imperative than ever, given the country’s socio-economic dynamics and cost of living,” the CHR said in a statement.
House help plays an important role in providing essential services that support and enable a functional household, particularly for families with working parents, it cited, saying they must be treated equally with other employees, it added.
The CHR also said “the rights as workers and dignity as human beings must always be recognized by all, particularly in how they enable and assist individuals and families in pursuing their goals and dreams.”
The RTWPB, they are currently conducting a survey of kasambahay and their employers to determine their working conditions and current salary as workers and dignity as human beings must always be recognized by all, particularly in how they enable and assist individuals and families in pursuing their goals and dreams, it stressed.
The RTWPB said it is currently conducting a survey of kasambahay (domestic helpers) and their employers to determine their working conditions and current salary.
By March or April, the board will have discussed the proposed wage increase for kasambahay.
Republic Act 10361 or the Domestic Workers Act or Batas Kasambahay states that “adjustments pertaining to wages shall take effect immediately after the determination and issuance of the appropriate wage order by the RTWPBs, provided, further, that nothing in this act shall be construed to cause the diminution or substitution of any benefits and privileges currently enjoyed by the domestic worker hired directly or through an agency.”
“We take note of the RTWPB’s initiative as well as the efforts of other stakeholders who have advocated for this crucial move in raising the minimum wage of household workers in Central Visayas,” CHR said.
“Furthermore, the Commission also recognizes regional wage disparities, and we hope that this proactive effort will be a tangible step toward ensuring a more equitable and just salary for Filipino workers, not just in certain regions, but in the entire Philippines,” it added.