Any legislated wage hike must be “inflation-based” while balancing the welfare of workers and of the country’s Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), former Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said.
Lacson said any legislated wage hike must also give the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards (RTWPBs) room to determine the wage adjustments.
“First, the wage adjustment must be based on the inflation rate in a given area. And regional wage boards must have leeway. We cannot have an across-the-board hike of P200 because employers in some areas may not be able to handle it,” he said in Filipino on DZBB’s “Ikaw na Ba: The Senatorial Interviews.”
Related: Ping Lacson: Legislated Wage Hike, Dapat ‘Inflation-Based’
He said MSMEs, which account for 99.6 percent of industries in the country and 63 percent of our labor force, are at risk of shutting down if they cannot afford to pay the legislated wage hikes.
Besides, Lacson said the cost and standard of living may differ from place to place, thus the need to base the wage hike on the effect of inflation on a given area.
“The standard of living in Bonifacio Global City is vastly different from that in Occidental Mindoro. So we need to have an inflation-based wage adjustment,” he said.
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Ping Lacson: Legislated Wage Hike, Dapat ‘Inflation-Based’
Ang anumang legislated wage hike ay dapat “inflation-based” at binabalanse ang kapakanan ng mga manggagawa at ng Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) sa bansa, ayon kay dating Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson.
Giit ni Lacson, dapat mabigyan din ng sapat na puwang ang mga Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards (RTWPBs) para madetermina ang mga adjustment sa sahod.
“Unang una muna, kailangan inflation-based kung anuman ang wage hike na papairal natin… Pwedeng mag-legislate ng amount pero may leeway din regional wage boards para may parameters. Hindi across-the-board na P200, baka ang ibang lugar di kakayanin,” ani Lacson sa “Ikaw na Ba: The Senatorial Interviews” ng DZBB.
Ipinunto ni Lacson na kinabibilangan ng mga MSMEs ang 99.6 porsyento ng mga industriya sa bansa. Sakop din nila ang 63 porsyento ng ating labor force.
Maaaring mapilitang magsara ang mga MSME na ito kung hindi nila kayang bayaran ang pagtaas sa sahod, aniya.
Dagdag ni Lacson, maaaring magkaiba ang kailangang wage adjustment sa iba’t ibang lugar dahil magkakaiba ang cost and standard of living.
“Ang standard ng living sa BGC, ibang iba sa Occidental Mindoro. So dapat inflation-based,” he said.
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