ECOP okay with NCR wage hike

The Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) said that even though employers had pushed for a lower amount, they have accepted the P35 wage increase for workers in the National Capital Region (NCR) because it went through due process.

ECOP president Sergio R. Ortiz-Luis Jr., speaking in Tagalog during a 2 July radio interview with Teleradyo Serbisyo, said, It went through the process, although our own computations that we advocated with the Wage Board was not followed. We accepted the NEDA computation even though the loss in purchasing power since the last increase was only around P19. Still, we accepted the P35 after NEDA gave us their computation.

Still struggling

However, Ortiz-Luis added that small enterprises did lament that they are still struggling with the P40 increase last year and now they have to deal with a new P35 increase.

Nonetheless, the business group will push for compliance by all its members, including small enterprises, while looking for ways to provide small firms more assistance to ease the financial burden.

“We will respect that and we will try to have our members comply because at least it went through the right process at the Tripartite Wage Board,” Ortiz-Luis said in mixed English and Filipino in a separate interview with DZXL.

According to the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board-National Capital Region (RTWPB-NCR), Wage Order No. NCR-25 was signed on June 27 and published on 1 July.

The order will take effect 15 days after its publication, or on 16 July.

New minimum wage: P645

Its effectivity, the daily minimum pay for non-agriculture workers will be set at P645 from the current P610.

The daily minimum wage for workers in agriculture (plantation and non-plantation), service/retail establishments employing 15 workers or less, and manufacturing establishments regularly employing less than 10 workers will be raised to P608 from the current P573.

“The minimum wage rates prescribed under this Order shall be for normal working hours which shall not exceed eight hours of work a day,” Wage Order No. NCR-25 said.

The wage increase applies to all minimum wage earners in the private sector within the region, regardless of their position, designation, or status and irrespective of the method by which their wages are paid, it adds.

Three consultations

Prior to the approval of the salary increase, the RTWPB-NCR held three consultations/public hearings with labor and management on May 23, June 4 and June 20 in Quezon City.