First public hearing for NCR wage hike set on May 2

source: gmanews

The first public hearing on a wage adjustment for workers in Metro Manila will be held on May 2, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said.

DOLE Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board will hold the public hearing on the petition for a wage increase.

"The public hearing aims to gather inputs from labor, management, and other interested parties on pertinent issues relevant to the wage petition," Baldoz said in a news release posted on the DOLE website.

She added concerned parties may present their positions to the wage board on or before the scheduled date of hearing.

Baldoz encouraged labor, employers, and other concerned sectors in Metro Manila to attend the public hearing and present their positions on the wage increase.

The RTWPB-NCR has already published the notice of public hearing in a newspaper of general circulation, she noted.

Citing the rules of minimum wage fixing, Baldoz said the publication or posting of the notice of public hearing shall be made at least 15 days before the initial public hearing.

After the hearing, the regional board will deliberate on how much and in what form would the wage increase be, if any.

Earlier, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) had filed a petition for a P75 increase in the daily wage of minimum wage earners in the private sector in Metro Manila.

The National Wages and Productivity Commission had affirmed on April 13 the existence of a supervening condition that allows an "early" wage hike.

"Prior to the issuance of a wage order, public hearing shall be conducted giving notices to labor and employers groups, provincial, city and municipal officials, and other interested parties," said Baldoz.

The Regional Wage Boards, which are composed of the representatives from labor, employer, and government sectors, and the NWPC last week conducted a government sectoral consultation on wages.

The Regional Wage Boards were consulted by the different government agencies, including the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Energy (DOE) and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), on the socio-economic condition in the country's various regions.

"We are giving the Regional Boards enough elbow room to decide on whether or not to declare the existence of a supervening condition in their regions. And if their decision is to increase the minimum wage, in what amount and form," said Baldoz.

source: gmanews