Philippine minimum wage policies 1951-1981
Date
1981-09
Authors
Panganiban, Leah del Rosario
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Abstract
The promotion of social development and social justice has always been the proclaimed concern of the State. The State aims to promote social justice by altering the inequitable distribution of income. One of the means by which the State can achieve this is through wage policies.
This paper argues that minimum wage policies were not deliberately formulated to redistribute income. No regular pattern has been observed regarding adjustments in the minimum wage and cost of living allowances. Wage policies during the period 1951 to 1972 seemed to be mere reactions to political pressures. Those formulated during the period 1973 to 1980, on the other hand, seemed to be responses to price increases (inflation).
Furthermore, the lack of an efficient monitoring system makes it difficult to determine whether workers do receive the wages they are legally entitled to.
The paper also looks into the wage system in the sugar industry as a case study. The Social Amelioration Program meant to transfer income from sugar millers and planters to sugar workers is discussed. However, no attempt to measure the benefits and costs of the said program was made.