Council: No to huge wage hike for Beneco managers

By Aileen P. Refuerzo

BAGUIO CITY – The city council last Monday approved a resolution “strongly opposing” the proposed increase in the salary rates of department managers of the Benguet Electric Coop from P55,000 to P100,000.

The body however in a separate move “strongly supported” the proposed hike in wages of the cooperative’s rank-and-file employees from grades 1 to 18 as contained in Beneco Board Resolution No. 75-2010.

The aldermen reached the decision after a lengthy deliberation with the department heads of the utility firm led by Human Resources Manager Delmar Carino who maintained that the increase is reasonable in view of the rising cost of living triggered by upheavals affecting the oil industry and the country’s economy.

The Beneco heads also said that the 82 percent increase in their salaries will make their wages at par with those of other cooperatives.

Despite the justifications, the body rejected the proposed increase adopting the sentiment of Councilor Fred Bagbagen, who broached the opposition in a proposed resolution, that the proposed increase is excessive.

Bagbagen said that the National Electrification Administration pegged the salary grade of managers serving at electric cooperatives at grade 20 or equivalent to P35,000 monthly and the proposed increase is over and above the NEA limit.

It also noted that the National Association of Electric Consumers for Reform also objected to the increase through Resolution No. 2011-04 dated March 4, 2011.

The body tasked Councilors Richard Carino, Erdolfo Balajadia and Bagbagen to come up with a toned down version of the latter’s resolution.

Apart from this, Bagbagen also proposed that the city opposes the increase of the Beneco directors’ countryside development fund from P200,000 to P500,000 and to require the power firm to submit an audited financial report to the city government.