BACOLOD CITY – An official of a moderate workers alliance in the province welcomed the decision of the regional wage board to hike salaries and wages by P30 a day.
“This is a truly welcome development for the workers, especially those who are not unionized,” Ronald Ian Evidente, chair of the Western Visayas Alliance of General Employees for Solidarity (WAGES) told DNX.
“It can even be considered an early Christmas gift,” Evidente, a former spokesperson of the Kilusang Mayo Uno, said.
Wennie Sancho, one of the two labor representatives to the board, confirmed to DNX that they approved the increase late last night to raise the daily rate from P365 to P395.
“It might not be really substantial but it is something that can cushion the impact of rising costs of living,” Sancho told DNX.
While the decision has yet to be implemented, pending a 15-day publication requirement, Sancho gave initial breakdowns of the rates.
With P365 being the highest, workers in firms with less than 10 employees will get P295 while agricultural workers will get P315. “There are no more classifications like ‘plantation’ or ‘non plantation’ types,” Sancho said.
The P30 hike is the second highest approved rate in recent years, right after the previous P41 increase.
