THE Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) is seeking the grant of 14th month pay for private sector workers.
TUCP party-list Rep. Raymond Democrito Mendoza filed House Bill No. 3808 providing the extra month of remuneration for employees of private companies.
Senate Minority Leader Vicente Sotto III filed a counterpart bill in the upper chamber.
The proposed additional pay comes almost 50 years after the 13th month pay was institutionalized by Presidential Decree No. 851 in 1976.
“The existence of the bill in both houses of Congress is proof that the 13th month pay is no longer enough and it is time for the 14th month pay that our workers have been waiting for a long time,” Mendoza stressed.
He said that once this 14th month pay measure is enacted, workers will get their 13th month pay in June and will get the additional 14th month pay in December.
The TUCP is aware that some distressed companies may not be able to comply forthright, saying the bill will provide exemptions but subject to approval by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Mendoza said.
“These exemptions prove that we heed the concerns of employers, especially those who are struggling. But let us be clear: when workers receive more and better benefits, they are not only happier but more motivated and productive at work,” he added.
He pointed out that when productivity rises, so does profitability.
“Working families become more comfortable as businesses and the economy grow stronger. Together, we can make this 14th-month pay work not only for our workers but for our employers and the country as well,” Mendoza said.
