Labor unions and federations have found an ally in Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri.
That’s because he is pushing for the passage of Senate Bill 2002, which calls for a national minimum wage hike of P150 for all private sector workers, including those in the agricultural industry, by December this year.
There’s another senator, Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., who is seeking a P12,00 increase in the minimum wage, this time for those working in government. This should also put him in the good graces of those sweating it out in frontline public agencies.
That’s all well and good, except that there’s a big obstacle in the double-barreled move in the upper chamber of Congress to give workers in both the private and public sectors a reprieve from galloping inflation.
The problem is this: A wage hike bill is not among the priority measures of Congress.
But Zubiri believes the Senate should take up the cudgels for the working class, even if the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (Ledac) is similarly not inclined to support a wage hike bill.
Zubiri justifies his move to speed up the passage of a wage hike bill in clear terms: “The cost of living has increased all over the country and they need that decent wage so they can have a decent life.”
And more: “We need it. Our countrymen are really struggling.”
That may sound like music to the ears of our labor force, but Zubiri’s exuberant endorsement of a legislated wage hike by the end of this year may not be shared at all by his fellow lawmakers in the House of Representatives.
Zubiri appears undeterred, however, and even vowed to appeal to no less than President Marcos Jr. himself to consider his proposal.
The Senate honcho would also have to deal with existing law that created the regional wage boards with tripartite representation – labor, employers and government – where they consider the stand of every member of the committee before making a decision, which, as experience shows, is lopsided in favor of employers.
And then there’s the persistent lobbying from employers’ groups every time there’s a clamor from workers for a bigger wage increase: “We cannot afford it” and “We shall be forced to close shop if wages are adjusted upward at this time.”
The Employers Confederation of the Philippines wants lawmakers to consult with economic managers first before passing the measure and to consider the situation of workers in less formal types of employment.
Zubiri believes the Senate wage hike bill it is poised to approve by December this year “will be a great Christmas gift for the Filipino people for 2024.”
We really hope so, as fair and decent wages is a crucial factor in driving sustainable growth, but will the employers think so as well?