As help with expensive goods, Senate staff will reportedly receive a P50,000 “inflationary allowance.” A labor group, “hopefully all” will also have help for minimum wage earners.
In Lei Alviz’s report on GMA News “24 Oras” this Monday, it was said that such allowance is greater than the P12,200 that Senate staff received in 2022.
According to Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, a such allowance that the staff will receive in August is to help because of the expensive goods and services.
Because of this, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TCUP) hopes that minimum wage earners will also be given similar assistance in the form of an emergency cost of living allowance (E-COLA).
“Kung hindi manggagaling sa pamahalaan, tingnan yung posibilidad na manggaling sa employers pero bigyan ng counterpart na tax deductions sila based sa ibinigay na cost of living allowance,” said TUCP Vice President – Labor Center Louie Corral.
This past December 2022, the Brotherhood of Trade Unions and Labor Organizations submitted a petition to the National Capital Region Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board to request a P100 across-the-board wage increase.
The group believes this will help workers much more than providing an allowance.
Senate employees to receive P50K ‘inflationary allowance’
“Sa amin kasi ang hinihiling namin ay recovery lang. Ibig sabihin para makaagapay lang. Kung ganyan ang hinihiling naman nila, ok naman kaya lang hindi naman ito pangmatagalan eh…parang band aid solution lang ang gusto nilang mangyari,” explained Kapatiran Chairperson Reynaldo Almendras.
According to Almendras, the wage board told them they are still in the consultation process.
The Labor Department announced they are already processing the petition submitted to the wage board.
“Motu proprio, puwede pong tingnan kung ano ang puwedeng ipagkaloob na tulong o hakbangin na puwedeng gawin ng Department of Labor and Employment para matugunan ang mga pangangailangan ng manggagawa subalit kinakailangan ding isaalang-alang ang interes ng mga namumuhunan,” said Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma.
Laguesma further said that the government is not deaf to the workers’ grievances, but it is necessary to balance the interests of employees and employers.
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