HUWAG na natin asahan na maaprubahan pa ng ating mga senador at kongresista ang panukalang 14th month pay bonus.
Sa ating monitoring ng 14th month bonus bill sa Senate at House of Representatives, hindi umuusad ang panukalang batas na ito dahil sa matinding pagtutol dito ng mga employers at mga negosyante.
Dahil sa bumabagsak na purchasing power o kakayahan ng sahod na bumili ng commodities at pagbayad ng serbisyo, the 14th month pay bonus bill was proposed to help workers cope with
the diminishing value of wage.
However, from the way it appears, huwag na tayong umasa.
The existing 13th month pay is in effect. Mas maganda sana kung may dagdag na one month bonus pa dahil halos wala na ngang value ang kasalukuyang 13th month pay, hindi ba?
Ang 13th month pay was made possible by Presidential Decree 851 since 1976, requiring employers and business owners to give their rank and file employees one month equivalent of their salary.
This 13th month pay is not and it is separate from Christmas bonus. Those who fail to give 13th month pay face heavy penalty.
The decree advises
employers to prepare the 13th month pay
of their employees early so they can have it on or before December 24, 2019 this year.