Small Businesses may be Exempted from New Minimum Wage in NCR, Western Visayas

Small Businesses may File for Exemption from New Minimum Daily Salary Rates

SMALL BUSINESSES – Micro retail and service businesses may file for an exemption from the new minimum wage set in the National Capital Region (NCR) and Western Visayas.

A lot of Filipinos in the Philippines are employees of small and big companies, establishments, and other business firms. A huge part of these workers is employed in the private sector – while some of them receive a good pay, there are those whose salary depends on the benchmark set by the wage board.

Undeniably, there have been several calls for an increase on the minimum daily salary in the National Capital Region (NCR) and several other regions in the country. The labor leaders and the ordinary employees made the appeal amid the increasing prices of basic goods and commodities in the country.

The recent increase in the prices of goods and commodities is apart from the problems due to the series of oil price hikes in the country since January.

Small Businesses

Meanwhile, recently, an increase in the minimum daily salary in the National Capital Region (NCR) and in Western Visayas gained the approval of the wage boards. Meanwhile, there are exemptions considering that not all businesses have already recovered from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Based on a report on Inquirer, small businesses in the retail and service field may apply for exemption from the minimum wage increase set in NCR and Western Visayas. National Wage and Productivity Commission (NWPC) executive director Maria Criselda Uy said that it is allowed under the Wage Rationalization Act of 1989 or Republic Act No. 6727.

However, Uy explained that the wage boards are not allowed to grant blanket exemption to certain categories of employers. Only those small businesses with less than 10 workers and those that are battling the effect of natural calamities like the pandemic may apply for the exemption.

You may also visit – Minimum Wage of Workers in Western Visayas Increased by up to P110

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