The House Committee on Labor and Employment (Cole), on the last day of Congress session, finally passed the bill to increase wage of workers from the private sector.

Still, workers need to wait for the next congress in July for the bill’s approval.

Nevertheless, the militant labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) commended the committee for passing the P125 wage hike bill.

“We are glad that the COLE, led by Northern Samar Rep. Emil L. Ong, mustered a quorum and enough political nerve to unanimously approve the P125 Wage Hike Bill despite Pres. Noynoy Aquino’s and big capitalists’ stated opposition to the measure,” said Elmer Labog, KMU chairperson.

The group also called for the immediate transmittal of the bill to the House Secretary General to schedule its deliberation and voting in the plenary.

Under the new rules of the 15^th Congress, bills that were approved at the committee level during the 15^th Congress do not need to be re-filed again in the next congress and need not start from scratch.

“The COLE’s approval is a step forward for the P125 Wage Hike Bill. It means a step closer to being deliberated and voted on in the House plenary, whether in the 15th or the 16th Congress,” Labog said.

The group added that any wage increase is most welcome to workers who were deprived of significant wage for decades despite the continuing rise of prices of basic commodities and services.

“Since 1989, the country’s regional wage boards have pressed down wages and the gap between the minimum wage and the daily cost of living has widened. The Filipino workers and people need a significant wage hike as a form of immediate relief. They urgently need and fully deserve the passage of the P125 Wage Hike Bill,”  Labog stated.

The group also challenged the Senate to reciprocate the Congress approval of the bill.  The Senate had not yet acted on Senate Bill 1981, the counterpart bill of HB 375.