While the Regional Wage Boards (RWB’s) all over the country shall follow the marching order of Pres. Ferdinand Marcos Jr., announced during the 2024 Labor Day celebration to “review” the existing minimum wage rates, the order to review is not an assurance that it will be followed by the issuance of an order for a wage hike in Western Visayas, a press release from GAWA said.
That would depend on the Board’s appreciation of various factors and the economic indicators in their wage deliberations, it said.
GAWA Secretary-General Wennie Sancho said that situation was exacerbated with the approval of HB 2534 in third and final reading which proposes a P100 per day wage increase for the workers in the private sector nationwide. Unfortunately this bill is still pending at the Lower House.
The government is sending mixed signals to the labor sector as to who will issue the order for a wage hike? Is it the RBW’s? or Congress? If the Wage Boards will issue a wage order with an amount lower than what was issued or will be issued by Congress, can we compel the employer to pay the difference? Congress must repeal RA6727 to retain their legislative power to increase wages.
These are some of the nagging questions on this crucial issue on wage hike that must be addressed by the Regional Wage Board in WV. It is anticipated by GAWA that any wage hike that might be issued by the RWB 60 days before the anniversary of RBVI 27 on Nov. 26, 2024 will be negated by inflation and could not even restore the deterioration of the workers purchasing power.
Meanwhile, HB 2534 would be gathering dust in the archives of the House of Representatives or else the workers have to content themselves with a “crumb of the bread” wage increase.*
