THE City Council passed a resolution requesting Congress to leave the determination of wage increases in the private sector to the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards. Sponsored by Councilor Filomeno Maglasang, the resolution was passed in view of a pending Bill in Congress that grants an across the board wage increase.
Maglasang is referring to HB No. 375 providing for a P125 daily wage increase across the board for private sector workers. While the resolution commends the Bill’s aim to give additional income to workers, it also pointed to an existing law which provides for a more democratic, expedient and equitable way to determine wage increases.
It made reference to the Regional Wage Boards whose function as provided for by Art. 122 of PD No. 442 or the Labor Code is “To determine and fix minimum wage rates applicable in their regions, provinces or industries therein and to issue the corresponding wage orders subject to the guidelines issued by the Commission.”
The resolution mentions that the public perception is that the Wage Boards have been discharging their functions credibly and effectively, and that the business sector favors that wage increases should be handled by the Boards rather than by legislation especially on the basis of “across the board.”
The councilors believe that one of the solid “factors in determining wage increases is the cost of living in a particular area, hence it is impractical and inequitable that the wage increase will be on the basis of across the board throughout the entire country as the cost of living varies.” by Felix Codilla III
(WLWE issue of Sept. 5-11, 2011)
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