Zubiri filed Senate Bill No. 2022 or the Across-the-Board Wage Increase Act of 2023.
“A decent life costs a decent wage…If workers are putting in hours and hours of labor, day after day, and yet are still unable to afford their rent, bills and basic necessities, then there is a problem,” Zubiri said.
“In the Senate, we addressed the collective bargaining of our employees’ union for increased benefits, in accordance with the rising costs of commodities,” he said. “And now, with this bill, I hope to answer similar calls from workers across the country, with an across-the-board wage hike.”
The proposal covers the entire private sector, both agricultural and non-agricultural, regardless of capitalization and number of employees.
Currently, the highest daily nominal wage rate for non-agriculture is in the National Capital Region at P570, while the lowest rate is in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao at P316.
Zubiri also cited the country’s skyrocketing inflation over the past months.
The Philippines recorded its highest inflation rate in the past 14 years in January, reaching 8.7 percent, though it slightly decreased to 8.6 percent in February.
“While our GDP is going up, we have to make sure that our economic growth actually cascades to our people. Otherwise, we’re just widening the gap between rich and poor,” said Zubiri.
“What we want is to lift everyone up, broaden our middle-income class, and ensure that every Filipino has the means to enjoy a genuinely decent life. That means empowering people not just to survive, but to actually achieve a level of comfort that allows them to pursue their personal goals and interests, beyond just their work,” he added.
Earlier, the Makabayan bloc at the House of Representatives filed a bill seeking a P750 salary increase for all private sector employees.”(SunStar Philippines)