Labor Groups Criticize Court Order Halting NCR Wage Hike

A LABOR coalition on Sunday criticized the court challenge that temporarily halted the implementation of the P85 daily minimum wage increase for private-sector workers in the National Capital Region (NCR). The Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (SENTRO) said one of the companies behind the petition had secured government infrastructure projects while seeking to block the wage increase. “This is an insult to every Filipino worker and taxpayer,” SENTRO Secretary-General Josua T. Mata said in a statement. The group renewed its call for Congress to legislate a nationwide wage hike, arguing that workers should not lose wage adjustments through prolonged court proceedings. A Pasig court earlier issued a 20-day temporary restraining order (TRO) against Wage Order No. NCR-27 after two construction firms argued that the increase would raise labor costs and affect operations. — Mark Joseph M. Sanchez