Progressive solons seek to hike nat’l minimum wage to P750

Progressive lawmakers on Monday filed a bill seeking to increase the national minimum wage to P750 in a bid to lessen the burden of Filipinos, especially the poor, caused by the effects of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) and other factors.

In House Bill 7787, the seven-member Makabayan Bloc sought to apply the P750 national minimum wage to "all enterprises, regardless of location, size or industry classification."

Anakpawis party-list Representative Ariel Casilao said the disparity in the cost of living and the current minimum wage as well as the effects of the first package of the Duterte administration's tax reform law prompted them to file the bill.

"'Yung family living wage na P1,200 vis-a-vis sa tinatanggap ng mga manggagawa na P512 [minimum wage] ay talagang kailangang habulin," he told reporters in an interview following the filing of the bill.

"Kaya 'yung [nakatira sa] Luzon, Visayas at Mindanao na manggagawa na pare-pareho naman ang gingastos ay kailangan din magpantay-pantay [ang sweldo]," he added.

Under the measure, the national minimum wage should be sufficient enough for workers to provide for the cost of providing food, clothing, shelter, education and other basic necessities for them and their families, as well as their psychological, social and other related needs.

Elmer Labog, chair of the Kilusang Mayo Uno, said the amount of P750 is half of the family living wage that is about P1,200 per day.

"Tingin ko ay napaka-just at proper ang amount na 'yan considering na kalahati man lang 'yung dadagdag doon sa prevailing family living wage," he said.

The measure also seeks to abolish the regional wage boards which, according to labor groups, have consistently pushed for lower wages for workers.

"[Ang mga regional wage boards] ang siyang naging kasangkapan ng nakaraang at maging ng kasalukuyang gobyerno na panatilihan na mababa at sunud-sunuran sa regional wage boards ang sahod ng mga mangggagawa," Labog said.

"Hindi na dapat padaanin sa regional wage boards ang darating na pagtataas ng sahod ng manggagawa.Gusto naming i-legislate ito agad dahil matindi ang inflation lalong na sa pagkasa ng TRAIN Law," he added.

The authors of the bill challenged President Rodrigo Duterte to immediately enact the measure into law. —KBK, GMA News