Labor Groups Urge Court to Lift TRO Blocking Wage Hike in Metro Manila

Several labor groups have asked a Pasig court to lift a temporary restraining order (TRO) that suspends the P85 daily minimum wage increase in Metro Manila, arguing that the order unjustly deprives workers of their granted wage increase. In an urgent motion filed before Pasig Regional Trial Court Branch 152, the Federation of Free Workers, Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (SENTRO), Partido Manggagawa, and other labor organizations sought leave to intervene in the case and asked the court to lift the TRO and an earlier status quo ante order against Wage Order No. NCR-27. The groups assert they have a "direct, actual and material legal interest" as they represent workers who are the intended beneficiaries of the wage hike. The labor groups also requested the dismissal of the petition filed by Readycon Trading and Construction Corp. and R-II Builders, Inc., contending that regional trial courts lack jurisdiction over disputes concerning wage orders. They cited Republic Act No. 6727, the Wage Rationalization Act, which mandates that parties questioning wage orders must first appeal to the National Wages and Productivity Commission. Furthermore, Article 126 of the Labor Code prohibits courts from issuing injunctions or TROs against the proceedings of regional wage boards. They emphasized that the P85 increase remains "far from a living wage," noting that even after its full implementation, the P780 daily minimum wage in Metro Manila would still fall below the estimated family living wage. The labor coalition NAGKAISA also urged the immediate lifting of the TRO, stating that it continues to deny millions of minimum wage earners even this modest wage increase. Meanwhile, the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) stated it respects the decision of the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board-National Capital Region (RTWPB-NCR) to approve the P85 daily minimum wage increase, despite formally registering its dissent during deliberations. However, ECOP cautioned against the long-standing practice of other regional wage boards granting similar increases simply because Metro Manila had done so, asserting that each regional wage board should independently assess its own economic realities. The group noted that businesses, particularly micro, small, and medium enterprises, anticipate the wage hike will lead to higher prices, cost-cutting measures, and changes in work arrangements. The government, through the Office of the Solicitor General, intends to continue defending the wage order. Palace Press Officer Clarissa A. Castro stated that while the administration respects the court, the government has the right to uphold the wage order. She added that parties with concerns about the wage order should have first sought recourse with the regional wage board rather than going directly to court. President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. remains committed to ensuring fair wages for workers. The wage order grants an P85 daily minimum wage increase for private-sector workers in Metro Manila in two tranches. The TRO suspended the initial P60 increase that was scheduled to take effect on July 25, with the remaining P25 tranche due on January 20, 2027, unless the wage order is modified or overturned.