Several senators on Monday questioned the temporary restraining order issued by a Pasig court that suspended the implementation of the Php 85 daily minimum wage increase in Metro Manila.
The increase, originally scheduled to take effect on July 25, was put on hold after two construction companies filed a petition for declaratory relief, arguing that the wage order failed to consider prevailing economic conditions and employers’ capacity to pay.
Senate labor committee chair Sen. Joel Villanueva said the TRO appeared contrary to the Labor Code, which prohibits courts from issuing restraining orders against proceedings before the National Wages and Productivity Commission and the regional wage boards.
Villanueva said workers had long waited for the wage increase and stressed that the law was intended to shield the wage-setting process from judicial interference.
Sen. Raffy Tulfo also questioned the court’s action, saying delaying the wage increase placed an additional burden on workers already struggling with rising prices of basic goods and services.
He said employers opposing the wage order should pursue the remedies available under existing labor laws instead of seeking to stop its implementation through the courts.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros urged the Department of Labor and Employment and the Office of the Solicitor General to take legal steps to lift the TRO. She also called on employers seeking relief from the wage order to follow the exemption procedures provided under existing regulations.
The Pasig Regional Trial Court issued the TRO after two construction firms challenged the Metro Manila wage order. The order temporarily halted the implementation of the Php 85 daily wage increase while the petition remains pending.