MANILA, Philippines — The Trade Union Congress of the Philippine (TUCP will file three other petitions to increase the minimum wage — this time in Central Luzon, Central Visayas, and Calabarzon.
In the Balitaan sa Maynila forum held on Sunday, Louie Corral, TUCP vice president, said the petitions would be filed within the week.
Corral said that the petition for Central Visayas would seek a hike in the minimum wage by at least P386, setting the maximum increase to P798 in that region.
As for Central Luzon and Calabarzon, the group was still computing the needed wage increase.
Corral also clarified that the petitions were not meant to politicize the issue on minimum wage.
“Some are saying that we are just playing politics because of the elections,” he said, speaking in Filipino. “You know, TUCP files a petition every year. It just so happens that this is an election year.”
He said an earlier petition filed by the TUCP was prompted by a study conducted by his group showing that the current minimum wage in Metro Manila could not provide a proper meal for an employee’s family.
Citing the study, Corral the current minimum wage in Metro Manila of P537 actually comes down to P416 after deducting contributions for Pag-IBIG, Social Security System, and PhilHealth.
Corral said 42.5% of the minimum wage would go to food.
“So for a family of five, it comes out that each person only has about P13 for every meal,” he said, speaking in Filipino.
Because of its findings, the TUCP recently filed a petition before the National Capital Region wage board seeking the minimum wage to be raised from P537 to P1,247.
The group also cited the problem on nutrition of workers among others.
According to the group, the P25 wage increase implemented on Nov. 22, 2018, through Wage Order No. 22 was no longer enough.
READ: Labor group files petition for P710 wage hike
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