In a statement, Nagkaisa chairman Sonny Matula said the decision to dismiss the petition for a P100 wage increase for all workers in the region is simply unacceptable.
“We are highly disappointed that the RTWPB in Region 7 failed to consider the petition as a means of providing relief for workers who have been struggling to make ends meet in the face of skyrocketing inflation,” said Matula.
“We believe that the decision of the regional wage board is out of touch of existing realities. Its act of dismissing a petition is a disservice to workers, who are already struggling to make ends meet,” he added.
The labor leader said that instead of dismissing the wage petition altogether, it would have been used by the wage board in its ongoing review of wage rates.
“The wage board should take cognizance of petitions, even those praying for across-the-board wage hike, as part of solicitation of inputs,” said Matula.
He called on the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to take action and ensure that regional wage boards are more liberal in performing their mandates.
“The DOLE chief must ensure that the wage boards are functioning properly and to provide them with the necessary resources to carry out their duties,” said Matula.
Earlier this March, the RTWPB 7 dismissed the wage petition filed by Partido Manggagawa-Cebu and 10 other labor organizations, which sought a P100 pay increase for all workers in Central Visayas.
It was in May 2022 when the Central Visayas wage board last issued a wage order, which provides P31 per day basic wage increase for minimum wage earners. (HDT/SunStar Philippines)