BIGGER WAGE increases and financial aid for local farmers are being demanded by labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), saying government’s efforts to help Filipino families cope with the high prices of rice are not enough.
“So far only two regional wage boards have given wage increases, but as we’ve said before, these increases are not even enough to buy a kilo of rice,” KMU secretary general Jerome Adonis, said in a statement in Filipino. “These are insults, not increases.
Last week, the regional wage board of the Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon (Calabarzon) approved salary increases ranging from P35 to P50 based on location and labor sector. Last June, Metro Manila saw a P40 pay hike, raising the daily minimum wage to P610 from P570 for non-agriculture workers.
Mr. Adonis said their group had urged the government to invest in an extensive rice production subsidy program to help farmers and to increase domestic rice supply. — John Victor D. Ordoñez
