Pinoys need P750 minimum wage to keep up with living expenses —Bayan Muna

Bayan Muna party-list Representative Carlos Zarate on Wednesday said Filipinos need a wage hike to reach the family living wage of P1,168 just to keep up with the surging prices of basic goods.

"Kung titingnan mo, ang ating kasalukuyang mga pasweldo ay talagang napakalayo sa family living wage. Gusto lang nating ilapit man lang 'yung P750," Zarate explained in an interview on Unang Balita.

Bayan Muna and other labor groups pushed for an increase in minimum wage across the country due to alleged effects of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Act on the price of basic commodities.

The family living wage Zarate referred to was a nod to a study by non-profit IBON Foundation that recommended an "immediate, substantial and across-the-board minimum wage increase against the high inflation."

The study indicated that the nominal minimum wage of the NCR remained at P512, 43.8 percent below the daily wage requirement of P1,168 for a family of six.

Implementation of TRAIN was identified as one of the drivers of inflation and cost of living.

"Sa tingin namin, 'pag tinaasan mo ang sweldo ng mga manggagawa, atin lang hinahabol 'yung eroded na na purchasing power ng ating manggagawa," Zarate said.

"Kung may dagdag sweldo sila, hindi naman nila 'to patutulugin sa bahay. Igagastos rin nila ito, kaya magkakaroon tayo ng demand-driven economy ngayon. Lalakas 'yung ating ekonomiya," he added.

In another interview on Unang Balita on Wednesday, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III reiterated wage hikes will depend on individual assessments of each region's economic situation.

"Baka walang kakayahan 'yung ibang employers or management du'n na ibigay 'yung minimum wage na kaya dito sa Metro Manila," he said.

Bello also stressed that Congress will have the ultimate say on a nationwide wage hike and Zarate's suggestion to dismantle regional tripartite wage boards in favor of uniform, national wage hikes.

"Nasa kapangyarihan nila 'yan eh. Wala sa kapangyarihan namin 'yan. Nalikha 'yang regional wage board through a legislation. Kung gusto nilang buwagin, nasa sa kanila 'yan, nasa kapangyarihan ng Kongreso," he said.

Malacañang had also said it was not the President but regional wage boards that are mandated by Republic Act 6727 to set the minimum wage for each region.

A day prior to this, Bello said at the Senate that wages may increase per region, but will not be as high as the proposed P750.

The wage adjustments may come after studies made by the regional tripartite wage boards, as commissioned by DOLE. —Rie Takumi/KG, GMA News