SENATE OFFICE, Manila, May 11, 2011-“Metro Manila P22 hike in the cost of living allowance (COLA) for minimum wage earners which was approved by the NCR wage board is not enough, adding that the proposed deliberation actual wage increase must move on,” Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada and the concurrent chair of the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development and the joint Congressional Oversight Committee on Labor and Employment said.
After the deliberations of the wage board, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) announced the approval of the COLA hike, revealing that some two million minimum wage earners in Metro Manila would benefit from the increase in the daily compensation of non-agricultural workers in metro to P426 a day.
“This new wage order will be effective 15 days from its publication in at least one newspaper of general circulation and will cover all minimum wage earners in the private sector regardless of position, employment status, or salary scheme,” Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said, adding that the hike in their COLA will somehow help workers cope with rising costs, it is excluded from the computation of their wage-related benefits like overtime and 13th-month pay.
“This COLA is very measly especially in face of the unabated jacking up of prices of petroleum as well as food products and basic commodities,” Estrada lamented revealing his sentiments for the concerned of the workers.
Estrada believes that the country’s employers could provide a much reasonably higher amount to their workers in additional pay. “But more than that there is a need to work for the actual increase in their wages, which would be included in the overall computations of their compensation,” he furthered.
He said that his committee is doing its share in finding the real “win-win solution” in the issue of wage and benefits for the workers, reiterating that there is a need to continue deliberations on the calls of the workers for the actual wage increase by the DOLE and the wage boards in the different regions in the country. (Jason de Asis)
