Labor groups to seek wage increase amid fuel price hikes

Several labor groups are urging an increase in wages after recent fuel price hikes, according to Bernadette Reyes' "24 Oras" report on Tuesday.

Workers and labor groups issued the call after several jeepney drivers and transport groups continued their petition to increase minimum fare following the consecutive hikes in pump prices.

“Kung gusto nila taasan yung pamasahe dapat taasan din po yung sahod ng manggagawa para lahat aangat diba, hindi lang yung isang sector lang dapat lahat ng sector aangat,” employee Hanna Lodo said.

(If they want to increase the fare, they must also raise the workers' wages. Not just one sector should increase, all sectors must be also given their increase in wages.)

“Kahit man lang kalahati nung family living wage or yung P750 pwedeng itaas doon yung sahod,” Rochelle Porras, executive director of Ecumenical Institute for Labor Education and Research (EILER), said.

(At least half of the family living wage or the P750 should be raised.)

The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) is eyeing to file a petition for wage increase this month.

“The sense of urgency is there, considering that almost every week yung presyo sa langis, you know naman yung oil kung nagiincrease, lahat ng basic commodities, increase din. So hirap na hirap na yung manggagawang Pilipino,” lawyer Raymond Mendoza, president of TUCP, said.

(The sense of urgency is there, considering that almost every week the price of oil increases, all basic commodities, also increase. The Filipino workers are already suffering.)

Meanwhile, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Director General Karl Chua said some employees worked part-time during Alert Levels 2, 3, and 4, adding that their salaries are “likely” to go back to normal under Alert Level 1.

“Nakikita namin sa NEDA marami kasing mga workers ay part-time or hindi full capacity. Halimbawa sa restaurant nakita po natin during Alert Level 2, 3, 4 ay pumapasok sila hindi full time but part-time. So nakikita po natin ngayon under Alert Level 1 kasi wala ng capacity restriction yung kanilang wages are likely go back to normal,” Chua, who is also the socioeconomic planning secretary, said.

(Many employees worked part-time or not in full capacity. For example, in restaurants, we saw during Alert Level 2, 3, 4 that they worked part-time or mostly not in full capacity. Since there is no capacity restriction under Alert Level 1, their wages are likely to go back to normal.)

Transport groups continued their appeal to raise the minimum fare to P15 due to the increasing prices of petroleum and other spare parts.

“Tumaas na po yung mga piyesa namin ng almost 22% ang itinaas lalo na yung gulong, baterya, yung spare parts. Dahil po yan ay sumasabay doon sa deregulation law,” Lando Marquez, national president of Liga ng Transportasyon at Operators sa Pilipinas, said.

(Spare parts have increased by almost 22%, especially the tires, batteries, and spare parts that are in line with the deregulation law.)

The P6,500 fuel subsidy for jeepney operators and public utility vehicles was approved during the recent meeting of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), Department of Transportation (DOTr), and several transport groups.

“Sa lalong madaling panahon po sana ay mai-release na ito ng Department of Budget and Management (DBM) sapagkat very urgent na po itong presyo ng petroleum product,” national chairman of Pasang Masda Ka Obet Martin said.

(I hope the DBM will release it as soon as possible because the increasing prices of the petroleum product is very urgent.)

“Nakikipag-ugnayan ho tayo both sa Department of Energy at saka sa DBM n asana naman po ay mai-release din ho nila nang mas maaga itong budget po na ito,” lawyer Zona Russet Tamayo, regional director of LTFRB-National Capital Region, said.

(We are in contact with both the Department of Energy and the DBM so they will release the budget.) — Richa Noriega/BM, GMA News