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Navea said that there are �300 different kinds of minimum wage for different regions and areas in the Philippines�. The minimum wage in Ciudad is 350 pesos a day. In southern Tagalog, the minimum wage is 280 pesos. In Negros, the minimum wage is 213 pesos for an industrial worker but only 130 pesos for an agricultural worker. In Cebu, the minimum wage is 235. But in Negros Oriental, workers are categorised into Class A, Class B, and Class C, by municipality and city, with each class having a different minimum wage.
According to the government�s National Economic Development Authority, a family of six must earn at least 600 pesos a day in order to survive.
Canos said that the Philippines constitution includes a right to a family wage. But the labour department has redefined the family wage. Instead of setting a minimum wage for a family with one breadwinner, it sets a minimum wage of 746 pesos for a family based on the earnings of the whole family.
�Only 3% of salaried workers are covered by CBAs [collective bargaining agreements] so that means that only 3% of workers get the minimum wage or more. The rest depend on the goodwill of capitalists. Their rights are not protected�, explained Canos.
Canos said that one garment factory in the Philippines received international attention when the management made workers take a tablet, which they were told was a vitamin tablet. It turned out that it was a stimulant which kept workers awake for three days straight to keep them working.
From: International News, Green Left Weekly issue #705 4 April 2007.