BACOLOD CITY – The General Alliance of Worker’s Association (GAWA) submitted its position paper advocating for wage increase for workers in the private sector in Western Visayas before the Regional Wage Board.
In his letter dated October 14 to Western Visayas Regional Wage Board chairperson Sixto Rodriguez, GAWA secretary general Wennie Sancho said that as the representative of the working class, they believe that a wage adjustment is necessary to alleviate the struggles of workers in the region. The current economic conditions in Western Visayas have led to a significant increase in the cost of living, making it challenging for workers to afford basic necessities. The purchasing power of workers has been eroded due to inflation, and their wages have not kept pace with the rising costs of goods and services.
“We strongly believe that a wage increase is essential to ensure that workers can maintain a decent standard of living. A higher wage would not only benefit workers but also contribute to the overall economic growth of the region. Increased wages would lead to higher consumer spending, which would boost local businesses and stimulate economic activity,” he said.
“In light of the above, we respectfully request the Regional Wage Board to consider the following demands: a substantial increase in the minimum wage to reflect the current cost of living in Western Visayas; regular review and adjustment of wages to keep pace with
inflation and economic conditions; indexation of wages to ensure that wages are adjusted automatically based on changes in the cost of living,” Sancho said.
“We believe that these demands are reasonable and necessary to protect the welfare of workers in the private sector,” he said.
Meanwhile, GAWA also submitted a position paper to the Regional Wage Board advocating for the restoration of the workers’ purchasing power through wage increase.
Sancho said the labor sector in Western Visayas is facing a significant challenge in maintaining a decent standard of living due to the erosion of purchasing power caused by inflation. Despite efforts to address this issue, the current minimum wage remains insufficient to meet the basic needs of workers and their families.
The cumulative inflation rate from 2018 to 2024 has resulted in a significant decrease in the purchasing power of workers’ wages. The current minimum wage in Western Visayas is not enough to restore workers’ purchasing power to 2018 levels. A wage increase of P100 to P200 per day is necessary to partially restore workers’ purchasing power and improve their standard of living, he said.
GAWA is recommending for the implementation of wage increase of P100 to P200 per day for workers in Western Visayas to restore their purchasing power to 2018 levels; index wages to inflation to ensure that wages keep pace with the rising cost of living; provide additional benefits and support to workers, such as housing assistance, education, and healthcare, to improve their overall well-being.
“The labor sector in Western Visayas urges policymakers and stakeholders to take immediate action to address the issue of eroded purchasing power. A wage increase is necessary to ensure that workers can maintain a decent standard of living and contribute to the region’s economic growth. We believe that a wage increase of P100-200 per day is a reasonable and necessary step towards restoring workers’ purchasing power,” Sancho added. (Chrysee Semillano via tvds)