By Junex Doronio
MANILA — Instead of telling business owners to minimize their greed for profit, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma on Saturday (10 Feb 2024) said the proposed P100 minimum wage hike in the private sector might be difficult to implement.
Laguesma justified his “pro-capitalist” stance, saying that many businesses will not be able to sustain the P100 increase.
“Medyo may kabigatan po. Dahil out of more or less one million na registered existing businesses sa atin, mahigit 900,000 nasa kategorya ng micro, small, and medium enterprises,” the DOLE chief said in an interview on Dobol B TV.
Laguesma noted that the P100 proposal would result in an additional 15 to 25 percent increase in each employee’s salary, excluding wage-related benefits, citing data from the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC).
The DOLE chief added that there was a need for the department to look at how to preserve employment, as well as to continue to create additional jobs to sustain the employment level.
“Kasi po kapag nakikita namin na ang mga hanapbuhay ay higit kaysa doon sa mga naghahanap ng hanapbuhay, puwedeng maglaro ‘yung tinatawag natin na market forces,” Laguesma said.
He further said that if a business wants to attract workers, it has to go along with the benefits workers are looking for and will be provided for them.
(el Amigo/MNM)
