DoLE

DoLE sees P13-P21 wage-hike range March 30, 2012 Malacaang has avoided tackling the clamor for higher daily wages head on, although a recent assessment made by Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz that wage hikes of between P13 to P21 may be imposed by the Regional Wage Boards (RWB), a range way below the P125 increment that labor groups have been asking. We will leave that decision to the RWBs which were already directed to conduct a public consultation for the wage hike, deputy spokesman Abigail Valte said yesterday. It was earlier reported that Baldoz surmised that the much-awaited increase in pay of daily wage earners would only be from P13 to P21. Baldoz said she arrived at these amounts based on five percent of the inflation rate. The Labor secretarys assessment was way below the P125 increment being asked by militant labor groups and not even half the more moderate P90-wage increase being asked by the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines. Public consultations on the proposed wage hikes will start on May 26. –Rocky G. Nazareno, Daily Tribune