The House of Representatives ended the 19th Congress with a sine die adjournment, leaving the proposed bill to increase the minimum wage for private sector workers unratified. As a result, the measure missed the opportunity to be sent to Malacañang for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s approval.
The House had pushed for a ₱200 daily wage hike, while the Senate proposed a ₱100 increase. However, the two chambers were unable to reconcile their differing versions of the bill.
Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero said earlier on Wednesday that he would be open to the House adopting the Senate’s version of the bill, which proposes a ₱100 increase to the minimum wage, but questioned the basis for the ₱200 hike proposed in the House version. He noted that the House bill was passed late and is now being rushed through the process.
Senator Joel Villanueva also appealed to the House bicameral conference committee to adopt the Senate’s version. However, House Committee on Labor and Employment chairperson Rep. Fidel Nograles pushed back, stating that the House “strongly prefers a transparent and deliberative bicameral process, rather than being bamboozled into accepting the Senate version wholesale, without discussion or compromise.”
The proposed wage hike measures are not included in the list of priorities of the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC).
Meanwhile, labor groups gather at the Boy Scout Circle in Quezon City to express their disappointment at the decision to adjourn without passing the bill from either chamber and leaving them high and dry after expecting a wage hike.
“Kami po ay galit na galit sa ginawa ng kongreso doon sa wage increase bill. Pinaasa nila ang mga manggagawa mahigit dalawang taon. Dapat ay nagce-celebrate tayo ng ating Kalayaan subalit yung ginawa ng Kongreso at ng Malacañang sa amin kahapon ay pagpapaalala lamang sa ating manggagawa na hindi pa tapos ang ating laban para sa ganap na kalayaan,” Josua Mata, NAGKAISA Labor Coalition convenor said.
He said that this decision is a “massive betrayal” of the laborers.
“Congress could have corrected a historic problem created by mga regional wage boards for 3 decades. Ano yung problema na yun? Lahat ng mga minimum wage earners sa buong Pilipinas ay below poverty threshold,” Mata said.
“If they had granted as P200, almost all regional wage levels will be lifted above the poverty threshold, which means at least four million na mga manggagawa o minimum wage earners ay maiaangat natin sa kahirapan. Subalit hindi po yan ginawa,” he added.
He also criticized government economists who claim that a wage hike would negatively impact the economy by fueling inflation and driving up consumer prices.
“Para saamin yan ay fear mongering. Posible pa magkaron ng dagdag trabaho dahil once you give money sa mga manggagawa, more workers with more money means mas marami sa kanila ang magpa-participate sa ating economy, and therefore, it can drive the economy further,” he said.