The Department of Labor and Employment in Western Visayas is encouraging all employers to comply with and implement the new minimum daily wage rates while the implementing rules and regulations are still being reviewed, Labor Director Ponciano Ligutom, said yesterday.

The Regional Tripartite Wage and Productivity Board approved Wage Order No. 20 provisions for the P12 increase in the minimum wage making it P277 for companies employing more than 10 workers, P235 for companies with 10 workers for the commercial sector and P245 for plantation and P235 for non-plantation for the agriculture sector.

Ligutom said the new rates are effective May 31 and even without the IRR, employers have to count the P12 additional wage increase starting May 31.

“It does not make a difference since employers will still have to pay. The only thing we ask them is to give it (P12 increase) now because workers need it,” Ligutom said.

Wennie Sancho, RTWPB labor representative, also said yesterday that Section 6 of the order states that there will be no exemptions in the implementation of the new wage rates.

Sancho said he is reminding employers that no distressed or losing establishment is exempted from paying the wage rates even those experiencing capital impairment and the newly-built companies.

Ligutom explained that the wage board only sets the minimum wage and has no component yet on productivity.

“But if it is over and above the minimum wage, I think companies can set their own standards of performance and we are not setting the salary scales of organizations, we are just setting the minimum wage,” he added.

He also said it is a possibility that companies can change wages depending on the performances of the workers if they receive wages above the minimum standards but he cannot categorically say it is all right.

DOLE does not take a look at other scales unless there are distortions like employees in the company receiving minimum wages regardless of their skills, jobs, and performed duties, Ligutom said. *LTG

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