Isinulong ni Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri ang Senate Bill No. 2002 o ang Across-the-Board Wage Increase Act of 2023 kung saan itataas ang sweldo sa pribadong sektor sa lahat ng rehiyon nang P150.
“A decent life costs a decent wage. If workers are putting in hours and hours of labor, day after day, and yet are still unable to afford their rent, bills, and basic necessities, then there is a problem,” pahayag niya.
“In the Senate, we addressed the collective bargaining of our employees’ union for increased benefits, in accordance with the rising costs of commodities. And now, with this bill, I hope to answer similar calls from workers across the country, with an across-the-board wage hike,” paliwanag ni Zubiri.
Kasama sa isinulong na wage hike bill ang kabuuang pribadong sektor, agrikultura o hindi.Â
Sa kasalukuyan, ang National Capital Region ay may pinakamataas na pang-araw-araw na sweldo na may P570 (non-agriculture) at ang pinakamababa ay P316 sa Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
Kahit ang Regional Wages and Productivity Boards ang may hawak ng prescription ng sweldo sa pribadong sektor, sila ay limitado na magkaroon ng isang wage order bawat taon.
Sa simula ng 2023, pinakamataas ang inflation rate sa loob 14 na taon, na umabot sa 8.7 porsyento. Noong Pebrero, nagkakaroon ng pagbaba ng 8.6 porsyento sa inflation rate.
“While our GDP [gross domestic product] is going up, we have to make sure that our economic growth actually cascades to our people. Otherwise, we’re just widening the gap between rich and poor,” ayon kay Zubiri.
“What we want is to lift everyone up, broaden our middle-income class, and ensure that every Filipino has the means to enjoy a genuinely decent life. That means empowering people not just to survive, but to actually achieve a level of comfort that allows them to pursue their personal goals and interests, beyond just their work,” aniya.