Tuloy na raw ang pagpapatupad ng ₱40 minimum wage hike sa Metro Manila habang dinidinig pa ang petisyon ng labor unions para sa living wage, ayon sa Department of Labor and Employment.

Hirit naman ng national women’s alliance na Gabriela, kulang ang ₱40 minimum wage hike.

“₱40 is not enough. It is an insult to Filipino workers and especially Filipino women, who have been traditionally left to budget household finances and contend with the severity of rising prices for the family. ₱40 cannot even buy the cheapest kilo of rice around. What we need is a wage hike towards the family living wage — which as of today is pegged at ₱1,160,” sabi ni GABRIELA Secretary-General Clarice Palce.

Dagdag pa ng Gabriela, nilalabag ng ng gobyerno ang mismong pamantayan nito sa minimum na pasahod. Ayon sa RA 6727 o Wage Rationalization Act, dapat i-consider sa pagtatakda ng minimum wage ang cost of living at ang pagtaas nito, pati ang pangangailangan ng mga manggagawa at ng kanilang pamilya.

“₱40 does NOT counter the 5.4% inflation and lost real value of workers’ wages that are well over ₱100. Neither does it reflect in any way the proposed raises from various groups, which ranged from ₱670 to ₱1,161,” wika pa ni Palce.

Ayon naman sa labor leader na si Luke Espiritu, “Baryang P40 lang ang itinaas sa sahod sa NCR. Kulang pa pambili ng isang kilong bigas.”

Ikaw, OK ka na ba sa ₱40 na minimum wage hike? Hanggang saan aabot ang ₱40 mo?