Pasig court extends suspension of P85 Metro Manila wage hike

MANILA, Philippines — The P85 wage increase in Metro Manila has been suspended indefinitely after the Pasig local court issued a writ of preliminary injunction against its implementation on Thursday, August 13.

The Pasig City Regional Trial Court Branch 152 granted the preliminary injunction requested by construction companies Readycon Trading and Construction Corp. and R-II Builders Inc. as the temporary restraining order expired.

It has therefore legally prohibited the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board - National Capital Region and National Wages and Productivity Board from implementing Wage Order No. 27 while the court is deciding on the merits of the case.

An injunction bond of P10 billion was also set for the “possible damage or burdens” the injunctive order might cause to millions of workers across Metro Manila.

The decision, signed by Presiding Judge Marie Joyce Manongsong, cited the potential loss of employment as one of the factors considered for enjoining the implementation.

“Losing one’s employment is graver and irreversible than the temporary inability to receive additional wages,” the order reads.

Against the injunction

Labor group Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) said it will seek the dissolution of the injunction.

“We will challenge this injunction by exhausting every remedy available to us. Let us be absolutely clear: we do so not to undermine the courts, but to defend the law and the workers whom that law is supposed to protect,” TUCP said in a statement on Friday, August 14.

Mamamayang Liberal Party-list Leila De Lima, meanwhile, expressed frustration about the order and questioned the P10 billion bond.

“Na mas gugustuhin pang mag-post ng bond ng mga Petitioners-Employers na may ganyang napakalaking halaga kesa ibigay sa mga manggagawa ang P85 na umento? Eh ‘di ba ang idinadahilan nga sa pagharang sa umento ay hindi raw kakayanin ang hinihinging dagdag pasahod?” De Lima said.

(The petitioners-employers would rather post a bond of that amount instead of granting the P85 wage increase? But wasn’t the reason cited for opposing the wage increase that they supposedly couldn’t afford the amount of the additional wage?”)

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