The National Wage Coalition (NWC), composed of major labor groups, will hold a protest outside the House of Representatives on Monday, June 2, demanding the swift passage of the proposed P200 daily wage increase before Congress adjourns on June 13.
“The ball is now in the House as the Senate passed its version as early as February last year,” said NWC convenor Sonny Matula.
The NWC includes the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines, Kilusang Mayo Uno, Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino, and the Federation of Free Workers. The House labor committee already approved a substitute bill in January mandating a P200 across-the-board wage increase for all private-sector workers, regardless of company size or capitalization.
Unlike wage adjustments made by Regional Tripartite Wage Boards, which allow exemptions for small businesses, the proposed law applies uniformly nationwide.
“With only six session days left this June, this is the moment of truth for the 19th Congress,” said Matula, who also leads the Federation of Free Workers.
“Non-passage would be a step backward, moving us further away from achieving a living wage—a right guaranteed by the Constitution but still unrealized nearly four decades since its ratification.”
If approved, this would mark the first legislated nationwide wage hike since the P25 increase under the 1989 Wage Rationalization Act.
Labor groups argue that the minimum wage should reflect the P1,200 living wage needed for workers to secure basic rights. The business sector, however, opposes the bill, warning it could lead to job cuts and inflation as businesses raise prices to offset higher labor costs.
In response, labor groups claim that higher wages would boost consumer spending and benefit businesses through increased demand.
House labor committee chair and Rizal 4th District Rep. Juan Fidel Felipe Nograles earlier suggested the bill could be revised to exempt micro, small, and medium enterprises.