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Friday, April 18, 2008
Bizmen reject legislated wage hike (8:50 p.m.)
MANILA -- Employers on Friday scrapped calls for a legislated wage increase.
Segio Ortiz-Luiz, president of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (Ecop), said the proposed legislated wage increase would in fact cause more harm to the minimum wage earners in the country.
“Let us no court disaster. A legislated wage increase would do harm than good considering that 84 percent of the country’s workforce will not benefit from this and will create disparity in incomes,” Luiz said.
He noted that a legislated wage adjustment would only spell doom for the business sector, specifically the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that account for 99 percent of the commercial establishments nationwide.
“If lawmakers would proceed in giving in to populist demand for a legislated wage hike, many businesses will have no choice but to trim down their workforce as a pay adjustment coupled with surging fuel prices would impact on business vitality,” he pointed out.
According to the Ecop president, the employers are not against any salary increase but this matter should be decided upon by the regional tripartite wages and productivity boards (RTWPBs). (MSN/Sunnex) |
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