MANILA-Sen. Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada is strongly urging the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to ensure that the workers in the private sector will receive the stipulated minimum wage.
Sen. Estrada said that this is the only consolation our government could provide the workers with the measly 10-peso minimum wage adjustment announced and approved by the Regional Tripartite Wage and Productivity Board last Friday.
“Many workers complain that they are not receiving the prescribed minimum wage rates in Metro Manila, even before this wage increase. Our government must guarantee that this benefit, however modest, will reach the labor sector and our laws and standards regarding compensation are fully complied with and strictly enforced,” Sen. Estrada, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development.
Sen. Estrada noted that the National Capital Region (NCR) has among the lowest compliance rate on minimum wage upon inspection according to the Current Labor Statistics published by the DOLE. NCR posted 61.7% compliance rate for the First Quarter of 2013. The figure is significantly lower than the recorded national average of 81%.
On the other hand, among those with the best compliance rates on minimum wage upon inspection of establishments are the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) with 93.8%, Region III with 93.9%, Region V with 93.1%, and Region XII with 94.5%.
The RTWPB-NCR Wage Order brings the new daily minimum wage to 466 pesos. Household service workers and workers of duly registered barangay micro business enterprises are not covered by the new wage order.
Jinggoy also expressed that the disappointment of the labor sector is understandable considering the impressive economic growth posted by the country for the past quarters attributed to the labor sector.
Sen. Estrada further said that the workers have to wait for at least a year before the regional wage board entertains another petition for salary increase.
“Philippine economy is consistently showing the world an excellent performance. I think that these gains should go and be returned to the backbone of our economic growth that is our labor force through decent wage,” Jinggoy stressed.
