Labor groups in Negros Occidental vowed to continue to push for the P125 across-the-board pay increase for private sector workers despite the move of the House of Representatives to put on hold the bill for the legislated wage hike.

Malacañang said it supports the move to allow further consultations. Priscilla Goco, coordinator of Partido ng Manggagawa-Negros, said yesterday they believe politics figured in the decision of the House.

She said Malacañang supposedly offered election funds to those who supported the move.

"We expected this, but we will not stop in pushing for a wage increase," Goco said.

She said PM will hold another nationwide protest on February 6, also the death anniversary of progressive labor leader Felimon "Ka Popoy" Lagman, to dramatize their demand.

Felipe Levy Gelle, secretary general of BAYAN-Negros, said the House move is also a "desperate move" on the part of the business sector to stop the workers' just demand legislated wage increase.

Gelle said that even the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards and the National Tripartite and Wages Productivity Council have not helped in pushing for the workers' interest as they also oppose the legislated wage hike.

Allen Mirasol, coordinator of Anakpawis-Negros, said politics should be set aside in the wage increase issue and both the government and business sector should consider the plight of the workers.

The House bill seeking an increase in the minimum wage of Filipino workers by P125, staggered over three years, was authored by Anakpawis Rep. Crispin Beltran.

It seeks to grant minimum wage earners a salary increase of P125 a day spread over three years: P45 in the first year, P40 in the second and another P40 in the third year, minus any amount that the regional wage boards have granted.

On Monday, the Senate labor committee also endorsed the approval of the P125 legislated wage increase.*NLG

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