The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) will be looking at the welfare of both employees and employers before implementing a wage hike, according to Secretary Silvestre Bello III, amid calls for a salary increase for workers.
Bello said that they recognize the reason why employees want an increase, but they said they also need to check if employers could afford the wage hike.
"Nakikita ko naman na talagang merong real reason na i-cconsider 'yung pag-increase pero on the other end, tignan din natin kung kaya ng ating mga employers," he told DZRH on Thursday.
(I see that there is a real reason to consider this increase. But on the other end, we need to see if employers can afford this.)
According to Bello, the petition for a salary increase for workers would first need to be filed to the wage board, where workers, employers, and economic advisers like the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) are represented.
"So pag-aaralan nila 'yung economic factors at kung maju-justify, they can recommend the wage adjustment," he explained.
(So they will study the economic factors and if it can be justified, they can recommend the wage adjustment.)
"Mahalaga rito kailangan natin tignan ang pangangailangan ng manggagawa, pero tignan din natin ang kakayahan ng employer," he added. "We should not kill the goose that laid the golden egg."
(It is important that we see the needs of workers, but we also need to check the capability of employers. We should not kill the goose the laid the golden egg.)
He made the remarks after workers said they are eyeing a petition to hike wages that could be over P750. However, they said they are still reviewing the areas where they could file the said increase.
