A workers’ group is urging the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board in Western Visayas to grant a wage adjustment of about P95 to P100 per day to help the workers cope with the declining purchasing power.
General Alliance of Workers Association (GAWA) secretary general Wennie Sancho, in a statement Monday, June 30, said the wage board must implement wage adjustments such as Emergency Relief Allowance (ERA) of about P95 to P100 daily to cushion the effects of declining purchasing power of workers.
Philippine Statistics Authority records showed that as of May, the real value of a peso has plummeted to P0.81 which translates to a daily loss of P97.47 or P2,294.36 a month per worker, GAWA said.
“This crucial adjustment is not merely a request but an economic imperative for the survival of the workers and their families”, Sancho said, adding “The current minimum wage of P513 per day is woefully inadequate to cope with the soaring cost of living as it merely translate to P415.53 in real terms”.
“Restoring the purchasing power of the workers through a wage adjustment of P95-100 per day is essential to ensure the economic survival and dignity of the workers and their families”, Sancho added.*