TUCP: House should not delay passage of P150 wage hike bill

The House of Representatives should not delay passing the proposed P150 increase in the minimum wage for employees in the private sector, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) said Tuesday.

The TUCP issued the statement a day before the House labor panel resumes its deliberations on the wage hike bills, which range from P150 to P750.

“As workers grow restless with ENDO (end of contract) jobs [every six months] and starvation wages, the TUCP trusts that in the hearing of the House Committee on Labor and Employment chaired by Representative Fidel Nograles on Wednesday, May 8th, the House of Representatives as the House of the People will say to the working class of this nation: You demanded a raise. You deserve a raise. And we will give you the long-overdue and much-deserved P150 legislated wage hike,” the TUCP said.

”Instead of the Labor Secretary’s (Bienvenido Laguesma) empty assurances of wage hikes that will actually only perpetuate 'barya-baryang minimum,' the Congress should stop dragging its foot and walk the talk: Taas sahod, isabatas sa Bagong Pilipinas,” it added.

In addition, the TUCP welcomed President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.’s order for regional wage boards to review wage rates in the country amid rising inflation.

”The President’s marching orders, chaired by no less than the Labor Secretary, manifest that he has been remiss in duty in upholding every Filipino worker’s right to a living wage estimated by the National Wages and Productivity Commission itself at P917 way back in 2008. Two years into the Marcos administration, the Secretary failed to facilitate any labor dialogue with the President despite the most pressing issues of ILO (International Labor Organization) findings and recommendations on the state of labor rights in the country,” the TUCP said.

“If we keep on believing all the smooth talk and no concrete action of the Labor Secretary, not only will workers get another token increase from the regional wage boards, but the nation will only see mere investment pledges on paper,” it added.

The TUCP has a sitting House member, Deputy Speaker Raymond Mendoza. 

One of the authors of the legislated wage hike, Cavite lawmaker Jolo Revilla, earlier said there are at least 77 House members who support the P150 legislated wage hike.

The Senate approved a P100 legislated wage hike for private sector workers in February. — VBL, GMA Integrated News