No wage increase this year
Noting that the financial crisis is far from over, the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) said that there won’t be any salary increase this year. NWPC executive director Ciriaco Lagunzad said an increase in the daily minimum wage at this point might lead to displacement of workers and closure of commercial establishments, particularly the small and medium enterprises.
Lagunzad added that based on the surveys of the National Statistics Office, most sectors of the economy have not yet reverted to the level before the global financial crisis. “The major market of our exporters like Europe has not recovered from the crisis, so our wage boards are now focused on employment preservation and productivity improvement rather than wage increase,” he said.
On the other hand, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said that those who would be required to report for work on November 1, 2, 27, 28 and 30 are entitled to holiday pay. DOLE secretary Marianito Roque said workers who would render service on the said dates are getting a minimum of 30 percent to a maximum of 200 percent additional pay.
Nov. 1 is All Saints’ Day and Nov. 2 is All Souls’ Day, both were declared special holidays. Nov 27 and 28 is the Islamic holy days of Eid ‘l Adha, and Nov. 30 is Bonifacio Day, all are regular holidays.
Employees who work during special holidays are entitled, under the law, to receive additional 30% on top of their regular basic pay for the first 8 hours of service. For works performed in excess of 8 hours, another 30% should be given, Roque said.
On regular holidays, the labor secretary said, workers who would render service would receive 200% of their basic pay for the first 8 hours of duty and another 30% in excess of eight hours.
October 29, 2009
Tags: benefits, DOLE, economy, employees, Labor, NWPC, Philippines, salary, wage board, wages Posted in: Announcement, Government, Labor, Law, Philippines, economy, finance, money
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