BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL G. BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – Local labor group General Alliance of Workers Association (GAWA) supports calls for a salary increase next year to keep up with the rising inflation.
GAWA secretary-general Wennie Sancho said wage increase is needed for the country’s workers as inflation rates have soared to 7.7 percent and the purchasing power of workers and consumers has fallen drastically.
Under Wage Order No. 26 of the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) that took effect on June 5 of this year, an existing wage order cannot be amended within a one-year period unless there are supervening conditions.
Sancho said there are now more supervening conditions – the rising prices of basic goods an constant oil price hikes.
GAWA expects opposition to the proposed wage hike. Sancho said some companies could again use as excuse the COVID-19 pandemic.
For now, Sancho suggested that the government give subsidies to workers until a new wage increase order could be issued./PN
