By Junex Doronio
SAYING THAT THE MINIMUM WAGE is not enough in the face of increasing prices of commodities, the socialist labor coalition Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP) on Thursday called on the administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to effect the immediate passage of a bill that will raise the nationwide daily wage to P750.
At the same time, the BMP also urged the government to thrash Republic Act No. 6727, or the Wage Rationalization Act, wherein the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards (RTWPBS) are mandated to determine and fix minimum wage rates in their respective regions.
“Naghihirap pa rin ang mga manggagawa. Ang hinihingi naming mangagagwa, sweldong makabubuhay pero ang binibigay sweldong nakamamatay. Cost of living, not cost of dying,” BMP president Attorney Luke Espiritu said in a press conference.
He pointed out that the minimum wage must be increased as prices of commodities are also rising.
Espiritu also asked to junk Republic Act 6727 or the law that authorizes the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards (RTWPBS) to determine and fix minimum wage rates in their respective regions.
“Malinaw na hindi na maaari yung dating kalakaran sa ilalim ng RA 6727. Ang batas na iyan ay palpak at nagresulta lamang sa paghihirap ng mga mangagawa at wage irrationality na kung saan wala namang talagang logic ang pagkakaiba-iba ng mga sweldo sa iba’t ibang mga region, wala ring logic kung bakit ang NCR (National Capital Region) ang may pinakamataas na minimum wage,” he stressed.
In 2022, Espiritu ran for senator under the Partido Lakas ng Masa (PLM) but lost.
Diskarteng Pinoy
Meanwhile, Diskarteng Pinoy — an emerging party-list in Central Visayas — agreed that there should be a nationwide minimum wage.
But it should be at least P1,000 per day minimum wage, citing a report from the Ibon research group that P1,186 is the ideal family living wage (FLW) for a family of five.
(ai/mnm)