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KMU-Cordillera hits P10 wage hike

BAGUIO CITY (July 22) — The Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU)-Cordillera hit the P10 wage increase approved by Regional Tripartite Wage and Productivity Board (RTWPB), saying it is not even enough for worker’s transportation to and from their work places.

KMU said in a statement that government statistics show that the present wage is far short of the daily cost of living. The workers group said that at present, the minimum wage in the region is P225, even with the implementation of the new wage hike it would still not be enough to meet the P725 daily cost of living for a family of six as projected by the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC).

National Statistics Office (NSO) data show that the peso purchasing power slid from 76 to 72 centavos as of May 2006. The Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) showed that the P225 nominal wage in the Cordillera is only P159.07 as it declined to 58% in real value.

“The wage board only showed its true function of putting aside the democratic demand of the working class for legitimate wage increase and prioritizing the interests of capitalists. History of the labor movement tells that these boards were not made for the workers and they are only being used by the state maneuvered by greedy capitalists to further suppress the democratic rights of the working class and guard their voracious interests,” the KMU statement read.

KMU urged all workers to push for the legislated P125 wage increase for a more significant wage hike. # Aldwin Quitasol for NORDIS

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