[APWSLMembers 452] RTWPB, scientifically deceptive and irrational PAMANTIK-KMU
Kilusang Mayo Uno
kmuid at tri-isys.com
Fri Jan 12 20:51:54 JST 2007
PAMANTIK-KMU
NEWS RELEASE
12 January 2007
Reference: Luz Baculo
; Secretary-General, PAMANTIK
Mobile phone: 0920.8314993
RTWPB, scientifically deceptive and irrational PAMANTIK-KMU
This is the statement made by the militant
Pagkakaisa ng Manggagawa sa Timog K atagalugan
(PAMANTIK-KMU) to debunk the recent claims made
by Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita that
Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards
(RTWPB) have more scientific and sober approach
in determining wage hike for workers.
PAMANTIK hit on Malacañang and business groups in
their collaborative and systematic efforts to
trash House Bill 345 or the P125-legislated wage
increase which recently passed the House of
Representatives. Now in Senate, a counterpart
bill proposes a one-time P100 hike.
Wage boards have done no good in determining
which is best for the workers. Instead, they
have made it appear scientically sound to deceive
the workers whil e maintaining partiality to the
interests of capital, said Luz Baculo, PAMANTIK secretary-general.
Citing Wage Orders No. 9, 10, and 11 promulgated
in Region IV-A (CALABARZON) on November 1, 2004,
June 20, 2005 and August 7, 2006, respectively,
Baculo described how the wage boards made it
appear to provide wage hikes while in reality dock workers wages.
Before Wage Order No. 9, all non-agricultural
workers in CALABARZON received a daily P237
minimum wage. However, in the study we
conducted, Wage Order No. 9 made workers working
in certain municipalities, like in Cavite City,
Carmona, Santa Rosa, Cabuyao, Lipa, and Tanauan
to receive an additional P12 hike but short of P6
in lieu of the duly implemented Wage Order.
Despite the last two wage orders, Baculo made
references to Wage Order No. 9 which she claimed
started a retrogressive effect in terms of workers wages in CALABARZO N.
Arbitrary reclassification
First, we are looking into the responsibility
and accountability of the RTWPB whether it has
the sole authority to reclassify areas to
determine the wage increase for workers.
With the implementation of Wage Order No. 9, the
RTWPB-IV-A reclassified the region in four (4)
areas, namely, extended metropol itan with P18
wage hike, growth corridor with P12, emerging
growth with P8, and resource-based with P5.
The RTWPB reclassified municipalities with the
most number of export processing zones (EPZs) to
growth corridor and emerging growth areas.
Previously under extended metropolitan areas,
Wage Order No. 9 reclassified municipalities
under growth corridor areas including 10
municipalities in Cavite (Dasmarinas, Cavite
City, Carmona, Gen. Trias, Kawit, Rosario,
Silang, Tagaytay City, Tanza, an d Trece Martirez
City), 6 in Laguna (Sta. Rosa, Cabuyao, Calamba,
Los Baños, San Pablo City, and Sta. Cruz), 6 in
Batangas (Baun, Lipa, Batangas City, San
Pascual, Sto.Tomas, and Tanuan City), and Antipolo City in Rizal.
Of course, these areas are not close to Metro
Manila in terms of geographical proximity as how
RTWPB defines municipalities in extended
metropolitan areas. However, companies and
businesses in the EPZs, which are mostly
multinational and transnational companies, were
spared by the RTPWB from providing their workers a modest raise.
Furthermore, in our study, most workers do not
live in the same municipality where they are
employed. They take from their salaries
transportation expenses in going to and from work, said Baculo.
Worse hit on contractual workers
The reclassification differentiated wage hikes
for current and new employees.
Baculo stated that most of those who fall under
new employee classification are contractual or irregular workers.
In a sample case presented by PAMANTIK, an
irregular woman worker employed in an electronics
company in First Philippine Industrial Park in
Tanauan City, Batangas received P237 prior to the
implementation of Wage Order No. 9.
When her term of employment ended and got
re-hired in the same company with a new contract,
(or if she was employed as a contractual worker
in another company in the same EPZ and
municipality), her daily wage was adjusted to
P232 during the effectivity of Wage Order No. 9, clarified Baculo.
Apparently, there is only a disparity of P5 in
the wage. However, considering the area and
current-new employee reclassifications, P23 was
slashed from her salary or 9.02% less from what
she was supposed to get under Wage Order No. 9.
Abolition of wage boards
The workers were dubious since the creation of
the wage boards. Workers have demanded for the
abolition of these wage boards and the repeal of
RA 6727 even before the law was enacted, said Baculo.
RTWPBs were formed by virtue of Republic Act 6727
or the Wage Rationalization Act in 1989.
Although Congress approved the 3-tranche wage
hike of P125, PAMANTIK said the bill continuously
draws popular support among workers.
< SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt;FONT-FAMILY: 'Book Antiqua';">
It is far better than throwing the issue to the
wage boards. Workers have been more enthusiastic
to push the wage campaign forward. Even yellow
unions previously against the bill are now making
scenes to take advantage of the credits.
Workers warn Arroyo
However, with the popular clamor for the P125
legislated wage hike, the Arroyo administratio n
flagrantly and insultingly isolates itself from
the majority of the toiling masses and their
interests, PAMANTIKs reaction to Arroyos attempt to veto the wage hike bill.
Baculo concluded, The P125-legislated wage hike,
which is an economic struggle, has taken a mature
political shape over the years. Workers warn,
and let us not dismiss the fact, that this issue
will be a strong force Mrs. Arroyo has to contend
with in order to preserve her regime.###
More information about the APWSLMembers
mailing list