DOLE pushes ‘non-economic’ benefits for workers
Philippine Star
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is pushing “non-economic” benefits to help workers cope with the continuing increase in transport fare and prices of essential commodities.
Labor Secretary Marianito Roque said the government is looking at programs that would provide workers, especially minimum wage earners, with possible sources of additional income.
“The officials of the different DOLE regional offices are meeting soon to discuss safety nets, particularly non-economic measures to help our workers augment their income,” Roque said.
“The oil crisis is a global problem but we would like to assure our workers that we are exerting all efforts to cushion its negative impact on the working class,” he said.
The labor chief earlier discounted the possibility of another round of wage hikes.
Roque noted that the different regional tripartite wages and productivity boards (RTWPBs) are restricted by law from granting successive salary increases for minimum wage earners within one year.
The most recent salary increase was granted by different wage boards just two months ago, he added.
However, Roque said there are special instances such as when there are supervening conditions that would necessitate the wage board to grant another wage adjustment.
Militant labor groups are pressing for the immediate passage of a measure that would grant a legislated across-the-board salary increase of P125 nationwide.
Workers are also demanding the scrapping of the oil deregulation law and the expanded value added tax on petroleum products to help them cope with continued price increases.
– Mayen Jaymalin
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