No decision on NCR wage hike yet as board still assessing indicators

Metro Manila workers will have to wait longer before they could get their much-needed wage hike, as the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board-National Capital Region (RTWPB-NCR) deferred deliberations on the wage petitions filed by different labor groups in June.

The region’s wage board earlier promised to release its decision this month, but Kim S. Lagcao, secretary of the RTWPB-NCR, said the members of the board need more time to assess crucial socioeconomic indicators.

“We are still waiting for instructions from the board [on when to deliberate the wage-hike petitions]. Hopefully, we can conduct it the soonest,” Lagcao told the BusinessMirror.

Still, Lagcao added: “It is not safe to say [there was no progress because] the proposals, together with the socioeconomic indicators, will be taken into consideration during the deliberations.”

Lagcao noted that the board is monitoring the movement of determinants of wage increase, such as the prices of basic commodities and inflation, to ensure it hands down a verdict that is just to both workers and employers.

“These socioeconomic indicators are so vital during the deliberations because of their movement, such as inflation, [which] has increased from 3.1 percent to 3.8 percent, according to the Neda [National Economic and Development Authority]. Such is important to consider in determining the possible adjustment [of the wage hike],” Lagcao said.

The RTWPB-NCR is assessing the demands of the Association of Minimum Wage Earners and Advocates Philippine Trade and General Workers Organization (AMWEA-PTGWO); the Associated Labor Unions (ALU); and the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP).

The TUCP is pushing for an across-the-board wage hike of P259, higher than the P184 demanded by the ALU and the P175 sought by the AMWEA-PTGWO.

The deliberation is to be conducted by a seven-member committee comprised of two labor representatives, two employer representatives and three government officials. Angelita D. Senorin of the TUCP and lawyer Herman N. Pascua Jr. of the ALU will represent the workers, while lawyers Alberto R. Quimpo and Vicente Leogardo Jr. of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines will represent the employers.

The government will be represented by Reynaldo R. Cancio of the Neda, Anacleto C. Blanco Jr. of the Department of Trade and Industry and Henry John S. Jalbuena of the Department of Labor and Employment.

In a previous interview with the BusinessMirror, Labor Undersecretary Joel B. Maglunsod said the RTWPB-NCR should understand the gravity of its decision on the wage-hike proposals.

“In my opinion, the wage board must approve a wage hike favorable to the demands of the labor groups,” Maglunsod said.

“Our workers contribute to the expansion of Philippine economy, so let us not treat them like street scavengers begging for alms.” - By Elijah Felice Rosales

Gov’t workers hail Senate passage of ILO convention

ILO Convention 151 protects government workers' rights to organize and negotiate employment conditions

FRONTLINER. DSWD staff accepting requests for assistance at the agency's crisis intervention unit. Photo by Patty Pasion/Rappler

MANILA, Philippines – Government employees applauded the Senate’s ratification of the 3-decade old convention that aims to protect their rights, seeing this as the key to further their campaign against government rightsizing and regularization of contractual workers.

Confederation for Unity Recognition and Advancement of Government Employees (Courage) vice president Santiago Dasmariñas said that the Interntional Labor Organization (ILO) Convention 151 would oblige the government to allow workers to unionize and negotiate employment terms.

“Aside from the national laws, we now have an international law that is specific for the public sector. Through this, the ILO can now call on the government just like what it does for the private sector [workers],” Santiago said in a phone interview with Rappler on Monday, August 14.

Courage is the umbrella organization of the labor unions in different government agencies. It has been active in pushing for the ratification of the ILO Convention 151 since 1978.

The treaty is the counterpart of ILO Conventions 87 and 98, which assures private sector workers with the right to organize and the right to collective bargaining.

Santiago explained that while collective bargaining occurs between unions and their public sector employers, it is only limited to benefits and other rights. Salary rate is not included because it is dependent on Congress and the Salary Standardization Law.

Slow compliance

Despite this, workers still call on the government's compliance to the treaty. Manny Baclagon, president of the social welfare department’s Social Welfare Employees Association of the Philippines (SWEAP) said that it takes time for government to comply with treaties like this.

“Nasa Saligang Batas na natin iyang right to unionize. Nasa Article 13. Dapat lang hinihiling lang namin kahit di immediate compliance kundi progressive realization nung mga rights na sinasabi nila,” he said.

(The right to unionize is included in our Constitution. It’s in Article 13. What we are asking is the progressive realization of the rights mentioned if they cannot immediately comply with it.)

Among the rights they clamor for is the right to conduct strikes and the right to security of tenure. The treaty urges the government to grant the workers their general civil and political rights aside from the right to organize and collective bargaining.

Regularization of workers has been a big concern for contractual members of the bureaucracy fearing they will be the first casualties of the efforts to streamline the government through the rightsizing bill. (READ: Contractual frontliners vulnerable to effects of gov't rightsizing)

Out of the 2.4 million workers in government, a quarter or 595,162 are under job order and contract of services arrangements.

“This just adds basis for workers to defend their rights. Like the proposal to streamline the bureaucracy, the convention may be a way of counteracting that because it recognizes civil and political rights [of the workers],” explained Gene Niperos of the Alliance of Health Workers.

“It can be interpreted as liberally as possible [as long as it’s] in the context of social justice,” he added.

End endo

Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) also hailed the success of their counterparts in the public sector.

“We are the first Asian nation to ratify this ILO convention and by this ratification we bind ourselves to the right of government workers to unionize. Public sector unionism can only mean a stronger, more assertive civil service,” said TUCP Vice President Luis Corral in a message to Rappler.

It was President Rodrigo Duterte who endorsed the ratification of the convention to the Senate in May this year. TUCP is now looking forward that the President will take action on the measures seeking to end contractualization in the country.

“We await for the Presidential certification of HB 444 and major amendments to cure Department Order 174. This is crucial to ensuring endo will finally end as promised by Duterte,” he said. – Rappler.com / Patty Pasion @pattypasion

DoLE’s move to review high-heel policy lauded

A labor group on Sunday lauded the pronouncement of the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) that it is now considering regulating the mandatory wearing of high-heeled footwear in workplaces.

The Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) said the proposal is a significant step for the government towards improving the working condition of workers, who are required to wear high heels by their management.

“The ALU-TUCP commends the swift action made by DoLE on a request made by salesladies to do away with the wearing of high heel shoe because it causes pain and exposes them to the risk of sliding, falling, and tripping off,” ALU-TUCP spokesperson Alan Tanjusay said in a statement.

ALU-TUCP is against the mandatory wearing of high heels due to its supposed negative effects to the posture of its users.

“Most of these salesladies have been enduring the pain and the risks caused by wearing high heels shoes for the entire period of the shift for many years because they will be fired whenever they complain against it,” Tanjusay said.

Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre Bello III said he has already created a technical working group to conduct a study and stake holder consultation to craft a new policy that will regulate the use of high heels.

Tanjusay said they will continue to monitor the developments on Bello’s proposal.

“ALU-TUCP envision a policy that cover not only salesladies but promodizers in supermarkets, waitresses, hotel and restaurant receptionists, flight attendants and lady security guard,” Tanjusay said. - By: Samuel Medenilla / Tempo

Labor task force to meet ​on ​rest periods to mall employees

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III (davaotoday.com)

DAVAO CITY, Philippines — Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said the labor department is coming up with an administrative order to direct all business establishment to grant rest periods for salesgirls including male employees.

In an interview at the sidelines of the opening of the One-Stop Service Center for Overseas Filipino Workers in Gaisano Mall here Friday, Bello said the technical working group will meet on Tuesday, Aug. 15 to come up with a recommendation which will be the basis of the order.

“During their period of working they should be allowed rest time. Pumunta ka dun sa SM, walang saleslady na nakaupo, puro nakatindig yan. So hindi lang alisin yung requirement of high heels, we should also allow our salesgirls and security guards and other male workers some rest time,” Bello said.

He said in a span of an hour salesgirls or personnel who are commonly required to stand for a long period of time during their duty should be given “five to 10 minutes rest time” every hour.

“Depende kung gusto nila palabasin muna yung workers kung san sila pwede magrest ang importante allow them some period of resting (It depends on employers whether they want to allow the workers to go out to where they could rest, the important thing is they will be given some period of resting),” Bello said.

Meanwhile, the Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) lauded DOLE for acting swiftly on the concerns of the salesladies.

Bello on Thursday ordered the DOLE’s Occupational Safety and Health Center (OSHC), the Bureau of Working Conditions (BWC) and the Bureau of Special Working Concerns (BSWC) to come up immediately with a policy in view of an occupational safety and health hazards faced by salesladies in wearing high-heel shoes and giving rest periods to both male and female security guards and salespersons.

ALU-TUCP spokesperson Alan Tanjusay said the most of the workers were employed as short-term contractual employees.

“Most of these salesladies have been enduring the pain and the risks caused by wearing high heels shoes for the entire period of the shift for many years because they will be fired whenever they complain against it. Apart from having no security of tenure, they have no union to help them improve their plight,” Tanjusay said.

The ALU-TUCP last week urged the DOLE to draft a policy forbidding employers nationwide from requiring women employees to wear high heel shoes at work because it poses danger to their safety and health in the absence of a government regulation.

Tanjusay said the ALU-TUCP envision a policy that cover not only salesladies but promodizers in supermarkets, waitresses, hotel and restaurant receptionists, flight attendants and lady security guards. - ZEA IO MING C. CAPISTRANO (davaotoday.com)

Workers on heels

LAST week, the Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) did something right for long-term sufferers of pain caused by high heels. It asked the labor department to prohibit employers from requiring employees to wear heels, especially if they spend most of their hours on their feet.

According to news reports by GMA News and Philippine Daily Inquirer, ALU-TUCP was concerned that requiring workers to spend many hours standing in high-heeled shoes would cause them to suffer foot and leg pain, as well as increase the risk of workplace accidents. Now, a lot of us love our high heels. As part of the process of embracing middle age, I now spend most of my workdays in flats or other sensible shoes no more than two inches high.

But I still keep two pairs of three-inch heels for those days when pretending to be 5’8” makes an anxiety-inducing presentation go easier. Up until last year, I took 250 steps every hour, walking down stairs and office corridors, while wearing 3.5-inch wedges. (An admittedly impractical pair that I still have and love.) That continued until one day, SunStar Network Exchange Editor-in-Chief Nini Cabaero pointed out I should probably use safer footwear while chasing my daily step-count goals. (I elected not to say anything recently about her covetable boots.)

ALU-TUCP’s appeal is meant to benefit a different group of workers who, as part of their daily grind, spend long hours on their feet, like salesclerks, promo attendants, waitresses, and hotel receptionists. Apart from the absence of choice, another issue is business expense. When they require high heels as part of their workers’ uniform, how many employers have the good conscience to pay for at least part of the cost of that footwear?

Do they make sure that when employees pay for part of the cost of mandatory high heels through salary deductions, their daily pay does not dip below minimum wage? There are other good reasons to require sensible shoes. Restaurant workers, for instance, may be asked to wear slip-resistant shoes, lest they tumble and accidentally fling a cleaver at one of the chef’s vital organs. Concern for workers’ comfort is another.

A study published in March 2012 by the Journal of Applied Physiology said that long-term use of high heels “may compromise muscle efficiency in walking and is consistent with reports that high heel wearers often experience discomfort and muscle fatigue.” Before they reached that conclusion, researchers Neil Cronin, Rod Barrett and Christopher Carty observed 19 participants, of whom nine had spent at least 40 hours a week, for at least two years, shod in two-inch heels. My argument for prohibiting a high-heel requirement at work has to do with honesty.

Requiring grocery checkout clerks and sales staff to stand in heels for much of their day raises an obvious irony. It is the false elevation of a class of workers whose pay and benefits linger on the lowest rungs of the country’s corporate ladders. Now if a worker chooses to spend the day in heels, then more power to her. (Or him, for that matter.) But there’s a word for employers who require lowly-paid staff to spend their days in impractical and painful shoes: these people are the real heels. By ISOLDE D. AMANTE (On Twitter: @isoldeamante) - SunStar

Read more: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/opinion/2017/08/13/amante-heels-558140
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Union urges Duterte to set wage hike terms

File Photo

THE Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) is urging President Rodrigo R. Duterte to declare a nationwide across-the-board wage hike.
In a statement released on Sunday, ALU-TUCP spokesperson Alan A. Tanjusay said that the President “can text or call the wage board and tell them the amount of wage increase he desires and it will be done.”

According to Mr. Tanjusay, the President can issue “an executive order mandating a wage increase amount needed by workers and their families to cope and service with the increasing prices of goods and service.”

Sought for comment, Regional Tripartite Wage Productivity Board (RTWPB) Secretary Kim S. Lagcao said that there is no schedule for deliberations yet. He also added that he is awaiting instructions from the board.

Employers Confederation of the Philippines President (ECOP) Donald G. Dee, on the other hand, said that ECOP is still studying various options.

“We will bring forward our proposal in the meeting of the wage board,” he said in a text message.

According to TUCP vice-president and representative of the labor groups to the RTWPB deliberations, Angelita D. Señorin, the labor groups and the employers’ confederation are set to submit their position papers on Monday, Aug. 7. It is only after all the position papers are submitted will the wage board decide on the matter.

The statement released by Mr. Tanjusay noted that ALU-TUCP submitted its position paper on Friday, petitioning for an “across-the-board P184 daily wage increase... for workers in the cities and municipalities of the National Capital Region on top of the existing legislated P491 daily minimum wage.”

The RTWPB is currently deliberating on the wage increase petition of three labor groups: TUCP, ALU, and Minimum Wage Earners and Advocates, an affiliate of the Philippine Trade and General Workers Organization.

The RTWPB has conducted a series of public hearings focusing on the labor groups’ and the employers’ concerns. After submission of the position papers, the wage board has 45 days to deliberate and come up with a decision. According to Ms. Señorin, this is more likely to come in September. -- Mario M. Banzon

Hike workers’ pay, Malacañang urged

File Photo

Organized labor has reiterated its call on President Rodrigo Duterte to increase the minimum wage nationwide, citing falling purchasing power of the daily pay and rising cost of living.

The Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) issued the appeal even as the Regional Tripatite Wages and Productivity Board-National Capital Region (Metro Manila) deliberates this week on a final new wage increase for minimum wage workers in the region.

The ALU-TUCP earlier filed an across-the-board P184 daily wage hike for minimum wage workers in Metro Manila.

“President Duterte can text or call the wage board and prod them the amount of wage increase that he desires and it will be done. The President can also issue a presidential executive order mandating a wage increase needed by workers and their families to cope with and survive the increasing prices of goods and services. The President has a variety of options to make a significant wage hike,” ALU-TUCP spokesman Alan Tanjusay said over the weekend.

He added that the workers had been desperate for a significant across-the-board wage increase for many years but the wage board has always been granting meager wage increases despite an improving economy.

“The last time the workers experienced a significant wage hike was in 1989 or 28 years ago when then-President Corazon Aquino gave a P25 daily across-the-board wage increase nationwide. After that, the wage board has been issuing a pittance… as if the workers are beggars,” Tanjusay said.

The ALU-TUCP said workers’ minimum wage should be P675 a day, not the current P491 for workers in the NCR, adding that the real value of P491 has eroded to P375.

The wage board last year issued Wage Order (WO) NCR-20 effective June 2, 2016 granting P10 as daily COLA (cost of living allowance).

On September 6, 2013 it granted a P10 daily increase in basic wage effective October 4, 2013 and the integration of the P15 of the P30 COLA under WO NCR-17 effective January 1, 2014.

WO NCR-19 on March 16, 2015 granted a P15 daily increase in the existing basic wage effective April 4, 2015.

These increases, according to the ALU-TUCP, have been overtaken by increases in electricity and water rates, health and education costs and prices of oil including liquefied petroleum gas and basic goods and services.

Despite the gains in the economy and productivity, workers and their families have not been granted a single peso in real wage increase since 1989, it said.

According to government official figures, as of April 2017, the purchasing power of the legislated P491 daily minimum wage in NCR is only P357.09, eroded by 27.3 percent. - BY WILLIAM DEPASUPIL, TMT

Labor group urges Duterte to hike NCR wages to P675 per day

President Rodrigo Duterte should declare a nationwide, across-the-board wage hike of at least P184 per day to keep workers afloat amid falling purchasing power and rising cost of living, noting that the last significant pay hike was in 1989 or 28 years ago.

In a statement on Sunday, the Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) said that the suggested P184-per-day hike is on top of the existing legislated P491 daily minimum wage in the national capital region (NCR), or a total of P675 .

ALU-TUCP made the call ahead of the Metro Manila wage board meeting to deliberate on possible wage increase.

Also, it said that the chief executive has a lot of options to effect a just minimum wage hike.

"President Duterte can text or call the wage board and prod them the amount of wage increase that he desires and it will be done," the group said.

He can also also "issue a presidential executive order mandating a wage increase amount needed by workers and their families to cope with and survive amid increasing prices of goods and services," the group added.

In a position paper submitted last Friday in light of its petition for an across-the-board wage increase, the group proposes a P184 daily wage hike.

ALU-TUCP spokesperson Alan Tanjusay said: "The last time the workers experienced a significant wage hike was in 1989 or 28 years ago when the late President Cory Aquino gave a P25 daily across-the-board wage increase nationwide. After which, the wage board has been issuing pittance wage orders as if workers are beggars."

Tanjusay argued that workers' wage should be at P675 a day in NCR, instead of the current P491, which at present has a real value of P375.

The Board last year issued Wage Order No. NCR-20 effective June 2, 2016, granting a P10 cost of living allowance (COLA) per day.

In September 2013, the board granted a P10-per-day increase in basic wage effective October 2013 and the integration of the P15 of the P30 COLA under Wage Order Number NCR-17 effective 1 January 2014; WO No. NCR - 19 on 16 March 2015 granted P15 in daily increase in the existing basic wage effective April 2015.

But Tanjusay said that the series of meager increases is a pittance amid the rising costs of electricity, water, fuel, basic goods; health, education, and other services.

According to official government figures, as of April 2017, the purchasing power of the legislated P491 daily minimum wage in NCR is only P357.09, eroded by 27.3%. —LBG, GMA News

Labor group reiterates call to Duterte for across-the-board wage hike

BIG labor has reiterated its call to President Rodrigo Duterte for a nationwide across-the-board increase for minimum wage earners amid the falling purchasing power and rising cost of living.

Labor group Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) issued the appeal ahead of the Regional Tripatite Wages and Productivity Board-National Capital Region meeting this week to deliberate on a final new increase for minimum wage workers in Metro Manila.

The ALU-TUCP had filed an across-the-board P184 daily increase for minimum wage workers in Metro Manila.

"President Duterte can text or call the wage board and prod them the amount of wage increase that he desires and it will be done. The President can also issue a presidential executive order mandating a wage increase (based on the) amount needed by workers and their families to cope and survive with the increasing prices of goods and service. The President has the variety of options to make a significant wage hike," said ALU-TUCP spokesperson Alan Tanjusay.

Tanjusay said the workers had been desperate for a significant across-the-board increase for many years because the wage board has always been granting meager and pittance increases despite an improving economy.

"The last time the workers experienced a significant wage hike was in 1989 or 28 years ago when the late President Cory Aquino gave a P25 daily across-the-board wage increase nationwide. After which, the wage board has been issuing pittance wage orders as if workers are beggars," Tanjusay said. - WILLIAM B. DEPASUPIL