Sunday 25 March 2012

Bicol Region wage board hikes minimum wage

PRIVATE sector workers in Bicol can expect a wage hike soon, after the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board there ordered a daily wage hike of up to P23.

The RTWPB issued Wage Order No RB05-15 to let workers cope with the rising cost of living, the Department of Labor and Employment said.

"The new wage order provides for an increase of between P3 to P23 in daily wage for private sector workers in Region 5,"
said DOLE Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz.

Wage Order No RBV No. 15 shall take effect 15 days after its publication in at least one newspaper of general circulation in the region.

She said the decision also sought to balance the needs of workers and the viability of business and industry.

Also, she said the new wage order simplified the minimum wage rates in Bicol through a new sector and industry classification.

Under Wage Order No RBV-15, the new wage rates for non-agricultural establishments are:

1. With more than 10 workers: P252.00
2. With not more than 10 workers: P228.00
3. Cottage/handicraft: P228.00

The new minimum wage rates for the Bicol region shall be for the normal working hours of up to eight hours a day.

The new rates apply to all minimum wage earners in the private sector regardless of their position and irrespective of the methods by which their wages are paid.

Household or domestic helpers, persons employed in the personal service of another, including family drivers and workers in Barangay Micro Business Enterprises, are not covered by the new wage order.

In determining the new minimum wage, the Bicol RTWPB took into consideration the concept that the minimum wage is not just to restore the purchasing power of workers, but to provide a safety net for vulnerable workers and afford equity.

Meanwhile, Baldoz urged labor and employer groups to build the capacity of business enterprises to be competitive by developing and implementing productivity improvement and gain-sharing programs. LBG, GMA News

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