Fight to raise minimum wage not dead — solon
At A Glance
- House Labor Committee chairman and Rizal 4th district Rep. Fidel Nograles has clarified that the efforts to pass the proposed P200 minimum daily wage hike bill aren't dead.
- Since the bill was not certified as urgent by the President, the House was not able to bypass a rule stating that there should be at least three session days between the second and third reading passage of a proposed measure.
“The fight for better wages is still not dead.”
House Labor Committee chairman and Rizal 4th district Rep. Fidel Nograles made this clarification after the proposed P200 minimum daily wage hike bill wasn't passed on third and final reading before the adjournment of sessions Wednesday, Feb. 5.
Nograles said that session days still remain in the 19th Congress, particularly starting June 2.
“Magpapatuloy po ang session sa June, at magkakaroon tayo ng dalawang linggo bago magsara ang 19th Congress. Huwag po kayong mangamba, hindi natin hahayaang mauwi sa wala ang pagsisikap natin para sa umento sa sahod (The session continues on June, and we will have two weeks before the 19th Congress concludes. Don’t worry, I won’t let our efforts go to waste),” he said.
On Monday, Feb. 3, the lower chamber approved on second reading House Bill (HB) No. 11376, which sought a P200 increase in the pay of minimum wage earners.
But since the bill was not certified as urgent by the President, the House was not able to bypass a rule stating that there should be at least three session days between the second and third reading passage of a proposed measure.
The version passed by Nograles’ committee initially sought a wage increase for all workers in the privat sector.
The bill also exempts barangay microbusiness enterprises from implementing the hike, while businesses regularly employing fewer than 10 workers, along with those adversely affected by natural calamities or human-induced disasters, may apply for exemption.
“Ngunit nagpapasalamat pa rin tayo na naipasa ito sa second reading, dahil ibig sabihin ay mas malapit na tayo sa pangarap na dagdag na sahod para sa minimum wage earners (But we’re still thankful that it was passed on second reading because it means that we’re close to achieving our dream of an increased minimum wage),” he added.
In the meantime, Nograles says there is a need to continue drumming up support for the measure to ensure that the “issue remains front and center.”
“Jobs, food security, and the ability to cope with the high price of goods and services are top election concerns, which underline the urgent need for the wage hike. Kaya’t mahalagang patuloy nating ipanindigan ang panawagan para maipasa ang umento sa sahod (That's why it's improtant to keep appealing for the passage of the wage hike),” said Nograles.