ILOILO CITY -- The Iloilo Business Club (IBC) is set to appeal for the suspension of the implementation on June 5 of the salary increase approved by the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC).
IBC executive director Atty. Eunice Guadalope said a memorandum of appeal is being prepared to be submitted to the NWPC, an attached agency of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
“This will be a legal proceeding and not just a mere position paper,” Guadalope told Manila Bulletin.
The salary board has approved a daily salary increase of P55 at the minimum and P110 at the maximum.
The increase will cover workers in Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, and Negros Occidental provinces as well as the highly urbanized cities of Iloilo and Bacolod.
“The IBC still believes that the wage hike is ill-timed as local businesses are still trying to recover from the impact of Covid-19 pandemic,” stressed Guadalope.
The current daily salary rates are P395 for the non-agriculture sector and P310 for the agriculture sector.
Contrary to earlier reports, micro, small and medium entrepreneurs (MSMEs) are not automatically exempted from the wage hike.
“MSMEs have to file for a petition to be exempted,” Guadalope pointed out.
Meanwhile, other business organizations in the region are also preparing to submit a memorandum of appeal to NWPC.