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SA gitna ng isinusulong na P150 legislated across-the-board wage hike sa Senado, naglabas ng pahayag ang walong grupo ng mga negosyante. Anila, hindi pa nila kakayanin magbigay ng umento.
Kabilang sa mga grupong pormal na nagpahayag ng pagtutol sa panukalang umento sa hanay ng mga manggagawang Pilipino ang Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Employers Confederation of the Philippines, Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc., Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines, Philippine Hotel Owners Association, Foreign Buyers Association of the Philippines, at United Port Users Confederation of the Phils. Inc.
Anila, nakaamba ang mabigat na dagok sa hanay ng micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) sa sandaling isabatas ang legislated wage hike ng Senado.
“Raising wages may appear to be the easier and logical solution. However, only a small percentage of the total workforce – 16 percent or about eight million in the formal sector out of the 50 million in total number of Filipino workers – will be able to benefit from this proposal,” saad sa liham na ipinadala sa Senate Committee on Labor kaugnay ng Senate Bill 2002
“For even as there appears to be this short-term relief to a ‘happy’ few, we also should not ignore that the rising inflation has also negatively impacted businesses,” dagdag pa ng walong grupong nanindigan laban sa naturang panukala.
Ayon sa kanila, 98% ng mga MSMEs ang hindi pa rin ganap na nakakabangon mula sa dagok na dulot ng pandemya.
“If the proposal for increased wages is approved, these employers may have to further increase the prices of their products, reduce the number of their workers or simply close down. Large firms which are capable of paying the wage increase only make up less than two percent of all Philippine companies.”
Litanya pa ng mga negosyante, isa ang Pilipinas sa may pinakamataas na antas ng minimum wage sa Timog-Silangang Asya.
