THE series of wage increases across several regions in the country are dissipated and rendered no impact by the series of previous and present extraordinary increases in prices of basic commodities and cost of services.
And also, the series of wage increase orders issued by wage boards didn’t uplift workers wages’ purchasing power above poverty threshold wage of P640 a day.
The P33 wage increase in Metro Manila raises the minimum wage from P537 to P570 per day. The highest minimum wage rate in the country, the wage hike in the metropolis failed to surpass the P640 threshold.
The implication is that our minimum waged workers, mostly contractual and short-term end-of-contract employees, are still receiving below poverty threshold salaries.
The impending extraordinary increases in fuel prices tomorrow, Tuesday will surely trigger prices of basic commodities and cost of services to shoot up and push buying power of wages further down.
With the Duterte administration packed and ready to go, the outgoing President seemed no longer willing to change the status quo and disturb the looming crises scenario.
We don’t see any concrete plans from the business and employer sector where they suggest the country should go. There are too many plans but no one wants to take the risk and take the first step.
The incoming Marcos administration, on the other hand, will assume power on June 30 and seemed overwhelmed already by the enormity of the situation.
But one thing is definitely sure: poor workers will surely bear the deleterious impact of falling value of wages, rising prices of food and rising cost of services. Very troubling times indeed.
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