Filipino workers in Czech Republic to enjoy minimum wage increase starting January 2021
Marje Pelayo • December 14, 2020 • 1309
Workers in the Czech Republic, including Filipino workers, will receive an increase in their monthly minimum wage starting January 2021.
The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) announced the good news as the Republic’s Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs emphasized that workers will receive a monthly minimum wage of 15,200 Czech Koruna (CZK) up to 30,400 CZK, based on the worker’s job classification.
Starting next year, the following monthly rates will apply to workers with a specified weekly working time of 40 hours:
CZK 15,200 (P33,000) for kitchen helpers, seamstresses, cleaners, delivery man (1st classification of jobs)
CZK 16,800 (P37,000) for diggers, scaffolders, maids, traffic aids or asphalt layers (2nd classification of jobs)
CZK 18,500 (P40,000) for bricklayers, plumber, plumber and heating engineers, waiter, bartender, barber (3rd classification of jobs)
CZK 20,500 (P45,000) for guide and interpreters, specialist chef, tailor in model and custom productions (4th classification of jobs)
CZK 22,600 (P49,000) for bus drivers, dispatchers, paramedics, general nurses, midwives, accountants market researchers, kindergarten teachers (5th classification of jobs)
CZK 24,900 (P53,000) for sales clerks, special pedagogues, network administrators, and IT system creators (6th classification of jobs)
CZK 27,500 (P60,000) for financial experts, doctors, pharmacists, marketing experts or programmers (7thclassification of jobs)
CZK 30,400 (P67,000) for experts in financial and businesses organizations, and scientists (8th classification of jobs)
Meanwhile, the new minimum wage rates are still subject to deductions for income tax and social security contributions.
The said increase in the minimum wage was made by the Government of Czech in consideration to the demand of the union and the business sector in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.
MANILA, Philippines — The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is willing to send a forensic team to Libya to dig into the case of four Filipinos killed in the country.
But NBI Spokesperson Ferdinand Lavin said he has not received an official request from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
“I have yet to receive the official request of DFA thru our Ambassador to Libya His Excellency Elmer Cato. Willing to send a team depending on the request of DFA and the approval from DOJ,” he said.
“We have initial coordination with the immediate family members and relatives of the victims,” he added.
All four Filipinos were oil workers abducted and killed by Daesh terrorists in Libya six years ago.
At present, Lavin assured that the NBI is in coordination with the victims’ families.
MANILA, Philippines — Foreign passengers coming from or who have been to the Czech Republic are temporarily banned from entering the country.
According a statement from the Office of the Presidential Spokesperson, the inclusion of Czech Republic in the Philippines’ travel ban list is relative to the detection of the COVID-19 UK variant in the country.
This means foreign passengers coming from or who have been to the Czech Republic within fourteen (14) days immediately preceding arrival in the Philippines are not allowed entry effective January 28, 2021, 12:01 AM, Manila time until January 31, 2021.
Meanwhile effective immediately, foreign passengers coming from, or who have been to the Czech Republic within 14 days immediately preceding arrival in the Philippines, arriving before January 28, 2021, 12:01AM, Manila time, shall be allowed to enter the Philippines.
Also, effective immediately, Filipino citizens coming from, or who have been to the Czech Republic, within 14 days immediately preceding arrival in the Philippines, including those arriving after January 28, 2021, 12:01AM, Manila time, shall be allowed to enter the Philippines.
As a standard procedure, passengers who are allowed entry to the Philippines need to undergo RT-PCR test upon their arrival.
They have to be quarantined until the result of a subsequent RT-PCR test, which is administered on the fifth day of the quarantine is released.
Those who tested negative from both RT-PCR tests will be endorsed to their respective local government units, which will strictly monitor the remainder of their 14-day quarantine.
Filipino and foreign passengers merely transiting through the Czech Republic shall be covered by the rules as provided in the Memorandum from the Executive Secretary dated December 31, 2020.
To date, the ban on foreign travelers now covers 36 countries and territories following confirmation of the presence of new COVID-19 variants: Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Netherlands, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States, Portugal, India, Finland, Norway, Jordan, Brazil, Austria, China, Pakistan, Jamaica, Luxembourg, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Hungary and Czech Republic.
MANILA, Philippines — A labor group has called on the government for a minimum wage increase especially due to the price hike in market goods amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Christian Lloyd Magsoy of Defend Jobs Philippines, the P537 minimum wage is not enough especially during the pandemic.
He stressed that even before the pandemic, an average family in the Philippines spends over P1,100 per day.
The labor group appeals to increase the minimum wage by P750.
“So, hindi akma. Hindi angkop. Kulang na kulang iyong minimum wage na mayroon ngayon kung ikukumpara mo sa dapat na gastusin ng isang pamilya (It is not enough. The minimum wage is not sufficient compared to the expenses of a family per day),” he said.
“Ito ay panahon pa noong walang pandemic. Lalo pa ngayon, nagtataasan ang mga bilihin, walang trabaho ang mga mangagagawa, walang ayuda (That is even before the pandemic. It has gotten worst now because prices of common goods are high, several workers became jobless, and there is no assistance),” Magsoy added.
Meanwhile, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said it is a challenge to balance the capability of employers to provide the wage increase needed by its employees.
“We have to analyze that in relation to its impact on the growth of the economy and whether the employers are capable of absorbing such cost,” DOLE’s National Wages and Productivity Commission Executive Director Criselda Sy said.
The Labor Department said a bill was already filed in Congress to increase the minimum wage to P750. -AAC (with reports from Asher Cadapan Jr.)
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