THE Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) has criticized Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma’s empty assurances of wage hikes, saying that the department approved an average of only P15 wage increase per year from 1989 to 2024.
“Ten years. That is how long it would take for the current regional minimum wage determination, such as in NCR (National Capital Region) to give a P150 wage increase, considering that the minimum wage rose from P89 in 1989 to P610 in 2024, averaging only P15 increase per year,” the TUCP said in a statement.
The TUCP issued the statement a day before the House labor panel resumes its deliberations on the wage hike bills, which range from P150 to P750
“As workers grow restless with the end of contract jobs (Endo) every six months and starvation wages, the TUCP trusts that in the hearing of the House Committee on Labor and Employment chaired by Representative Fidel Nograles on Wednesday, May 8th, the House of Representatives as the House of the People will say to the working class of this nation: You demanded a raise. You deserve a raise. And we will give you the long-overdue and much-deserved P150 legislated wage hike,” the TUCP said.
”Instead of the Labor Secretary’s empty assurances of wage hikes that will actually only perpetuate ‘barya-baryang minimum,’ the Congress should stop dragging its foot and walk the talk: Taas sahod, isabatas sa Bagong Pilipinas,” it added.
On the other hand, the TUCP welcomed the directive of President Marcos to the regional wage boards and the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) to review and reform wage rates and policies in the country amid inflation.
“This exposes the chronic defects of the current regional minimum wage system and underscores how the resulting poverty wages are further eroded by surging prices,” the labor group said.
The President’s marching orders to the NWPC, chaired by no less than the Labor Secretary, manifests that he has been remiss in duty in upholding every Filipino worker’s right to a living wage estimated by the NWPC itself at P917 way back in 2008.
“Two years into the Marcos Administration, the Secretary failed to facilitate any labor dialogue with the President despite the most pressing issues of ILO findings and recommendations on the state of labor rights in the country. legislated wage hike!” it added.
Meanwhile, the Labor Department has assured workers that a wage hike will be implemented soon in compliance with the order of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.
Laguesman issued the remarks after Marcos ordered a review of the minimum wage rates nationwide.
Laguesma said the President is not misleading workers, as the various Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards (RTWPBs) are set to release new wage orders prior to the first anniversary of the current ones.
“The chairman of the National Wages and Productivity Commission aims to ensure that 60 days before the anniversary date, the necessary actions have already been taken. Furthermore, a decision will be made on the day of the anniversary or possibly even earlier,” said Laguesma.
Laguesma said that based on previous occurrences, the RTWPBs generally implement wage increases after conducting a thorough evaluation of current salary levels.
Nevertheless, he specified that the effective date of the current wage rates varies across all 17 regions throughout the country.