Starvation Wage in Fuel Industry

            It has all been good news for gas and oil industry in the country where fuel increases has gone a long, long way and up,  up and away ad infinitum out of reach by masa and killing too many drivers  who have left the trade as they could not last sustaining the heavy losses as result of subsidizing their own personal money just to maintain their daily boundary. The situation has its repercussion too to the operator – some sold their units for good  and probably must have re-strategize selling away their units in run away prices  to survive.

            The sting was just felt all over. Jessica Soho once featured in her Kapuso Show how taxi drivers in Manila just eat bananas as it’s one of edible pulpy  fruits  that would make them strong, full  and awake lasting overnight driving and most importantly, saving their hard money for an expensive meal to augment meager income.  Note how their counterpart trisikad drivers in Mindanao have gone bananas and feasting  too on this fruit  with matching Remember Me to keep them going in their arduous industry.

            Similarly those who feel the beating and couldn’t bear the pain no more sold too their taxi units.  You can buy Ric as low as you want some of these units somewhere in Macanhan, Loloy Miquiabas, my neighbor in Terryhills confided to me. He knows because mostly of taxi operators in Cagayan de Oro are his clients he being a creative sticker artist. Over in one Gasoline station in Kauswagan road  also once displayed   numerous Smile Taxi I think also for sale. It such an irony that while its title is inviting and has positive outlook for the commuters, its operator has to summarily  disposed them off definitely griping over the unpredictable and  still skyrocketing fuel price increases.

 It’s just really unfortunate that its all “lose many and win none” for this industry in this country. What could they do as they also eat rice more than their drivers’ need in this rice eating Republic. Unlike in Middle East where according to Korina Sanchez in her earlier “K ka na ba?” episode your P100.00 cost of fuel  would last you a long way. But of course that could only be true in Middle East as they produce their own fuel in which we only buy from them for our own consumption.  No beef and debate  here  for as long our local fuel players are also giving what is due to their employees – decent salary never mind minimum wage as local govt units are not complying it themselves. Where are all those talks of oil drilling in Palawan and Surigao that otherwise would have save us from this burden? Politics and ineptitude tells it all as usual.

            Having my ever reliable KMX-125 motorcycle I’ve been using for more than a decade  now in my work in Malitbog with DAR is also not at all that comfortable as you have just to stay behind in the entire week to save gas (and write this reflection) what with  all those pollution and dust on the road aggravating the situation over exorbitant fuel prices. My P100.00 then would already nearly be full tank but now could not even hardly reached my office one way.

            And going the rounds lately among gas station getting the salary of their employees from  gas boys, cashier and supervisors what have you and making comparative study applying statistics would give you goose bumps and nosebleeds.  How on earth these local players in fuel industry are  keeping  up updated with  fuel increases in the market and yet can afford maintaining  starvation wages to their employees! How is that Mareng Winnie? The usual lowest is P120.00 for beginners the rest flat rate P130.00 for Cashier, gasboys, regardless of years served. The highest by far is  P180.00 to  P200.00 for Supervisor in Petron Puerto, Cagayan de Oro City and incredibly after serving more than 10 years. Sans presenting a statistical Matrix, easily we’ll get roughly P177.00 glaring starvation wage average. Good if that is their net for the day giving them free meals. There’s even no  overtime pay  as  the man-hours you’ll serve will be reckoned as your new set of working hour

 From that brief study, the salary range pattern actually is obvious among local fuel industry players indicating   their powerful grip on their business holding their employees’ minimum wage even hostage. It’s unfortunate that the loyalty these workers are exhibiting are not even appreciated. In all instances, I was always requested to go down  from my motor vehicle when refueling. Dili mahimo Sir kay kami’y madaut, they would always earnestly request short of begging pointing to a surveillance camera installed. I even one time went ballistic when I was not honored to refuel on a 1 liter bottle of Coke my motor left in City  gas tank empty “kay dili man jud mahimo Sir ky madaut mi.” Imagine the loyalty these workers are protecting the interest of their bosses and yet getting paid mere crumbs  not even enough to survive for a day.  .  

            Given this sad reality, it is suggested  upon those in authority from DTI, DOLE and by  City Council to please check on the extent of compliance on Minimum Wage Law on these local players of fuel industry in the City to level the playing field.  If we could not address this issue , making mockery on that law perpetuating starvation wages among our gullible workers while keeping themselves secretly  getting differential profit  milking even their own employees, then better to amend that law and adopt instead that upright salary not the  starvation wage good for the monkeys  in the forest.