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MANILA, Philippines — A P12,000 increase in the minimum wage for government workers is being sought in the Senate.

The proposed wage increase is contained in Senate Bill No. 2356 recently introduced by Senator Ramón “Bong” Revilla Jr., who noted the “appalling state of public sector workers”.

“Government employees are the state’s front line in ensuring the delivery of public services. However, the real value of their salaries (has) decreased significantly due to inflation and other present economic realities,” the senator said when he introduced the measure.

“The salaries of those in the lowest salary grade level are well below the government’s conservative estimate of the cost of living that a family needs to survive,” he also said.

The unions had also called for raising the minimum wage for government workers to P33,000 per month so they can earn a living wage.

Data from last year showed that a wage grade 1 state worker would earn a monthly payment of just P12,517.

Revilla lamented that the current minimum wage “reflects the terrible state of public sector workers.”

“Therefore, this measure seeks to address these issues by providing a P12,000 increase to the minimum wage and, in the process, bringing low-paid government employees closer to the state guarantee of a decent wage,” it said.

“In view of increasing the inflation-eroded wages of government workers, approval of this measure is seriously sought,” the senator said at the time.

In the private sector, minimum wage earners in Metro Manila get a P40 increase in daily pay this year.

The adjustment raised the daily wage for workers in the non-agricultural sector from P570 to P610, and from P533 to P573 for workers in the agricultural sector, retail and service establishments that employ 15 workers or less, and manufacturing establishments that employ regularly less than 10 workers. .

kga/abc

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