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ALTHOUGH
they are willing to grant wage increases, Filipino
businessmen proposed that the relief to be given to
workers “in these extraordinary times” be spread in at
least four sources so the pay raise sought by labor will
not fall entirely on the shoulders of the private
sector.
Donald
Dee, chairman emeritus of the Philippine Chamber of
Commerce and Industry (PCCI), said that by spreading the
economic reprieve to be given to workers, companies
would be spared from losing their competitiveness
further.
Dee
listed at least four sources of relief that can be given
to workers, one of which is the proposed exemption of
minimum-wage earners from the 10-percent income tax. “If
you are working in Metro Manila, that is already a
savings of P36 a day,” Dee told reporters at the
sidelines of the Consultation on Regional Free Trade
Agreements organized by the PCCI at the Bayview Park
Hotel in
Manila Wednesday.
Another
option, he said, is to condone the penalties incurred by
workers from their housing, salary and other loans with
the Social Security System and Government Service
Insurance System.
Next is
the continuation of the government subsidy on rice.
The
fourth source, which will be the contribution of the
private sector, is the actual wage increase.
Dee said
the regional tripartite wage boards should make a
computation of the savings in the take-home pay of
minimum-wage earners from the first three sources before
determining the amount of the daily-pay increase that
they will promulgate.
“There
should be a comprehensive approach on how they will
arrive at the amount,” he said.
Dee said
the business sector has yet to put forward a
counteroffer on the wage increase after the Trade Union
Congress of Philippines (TUCP) sought an P80
minimum-wage hike in Metro Manila and P150 in Cebu.
He
explained that they do not want to put too much pressure
on the wage boards at this time when they are still
hearing proposals on how to approach the matter.
He said
the P80 increase in Metro Manila could be achieved by a
combination of economic benefits so it should not
necessarily be the actual hike.
Still,
Dee said the business sector is aware that these are
extraordinary times and is willing to help the labor
sector cope with the rising prices of food, which makes
up 60 percent of the expenses of workers.
He said
if the wage boards will be prudent in coming out with
the amount of the pay increase, shutdowns won’t happen. |
