THE Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) on Friday called on the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to support the proposed P85 daily wage increase nationwide, saying workers have the right to a living wage.
Speaking before protesters gathered outside the DOLE central office in Intramuros, Manila, TUCP spokesman Carlos Oñate said the proposed wage increase should not be limited to Metro Manila.
He urged employer groups to uphold existing wage laws and denounce companies that violate labor standards.
“They cannot claim to respect the law that sets wages while refusing to condemn those among their ranks who distort, break and violate the very law they claim to respect,” Oñate said in Filipino.
He said the issue should not be viewed as a conflict between workers and the government, but as a campaign against employers who refuse to grant wage increases.
“Let us make this clear: We have the right to a wage increase. We have the right to a living wage,” Oñate said in Filipino.
Oñate called on Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino to commit to seeking the dismissal of what he described as baseless petitions against the proposed wage increase, and to ensure that those responsible for blocking the measure would be held accountable.
Later on Friday, labor groups, employer representatives and the DOLE agreed to jointly call for the lifting of the temporary restraining order (TRO) against the P85 daily wage hike in the National Capital Region.
Tolentino said the agreement was reached during a meeting of the National Tripartite Industrial Peace Council, attended by representatives from the government, employers and labor groups.
Tolentino said the council also approved a resolution urging the National Electrification Administration to address concerns raised before the tripartite body.
He said the parties agreed to jointly ask the court to lift the TRO issued by Pasig Regional Trial Court Branch 152 against NCR Wage Order 27.
“This is a breakthrough. This just happened today. Employers and employees came together and reached an agreement. All the labor groups are joining the employers and DOLE in calling for the lifting of the temporary restraining order,” Tolentino said.
Employers Confederation of the Philippines’ governor Antonio Sayo said employers respect the P85 wage order, but maintained that it should not serve as the basis for wage adjustments in other regions because of differing cost structures.
Sayo said wage rates should continue to vary across regions because of differences in the cost of living and business conditions.
Federation of Free Workers president and Nagkaisa Labor Coalition chairman Sonny Matula, who also attended the meeting, said discussions focused on lifting the TRO.
Matula said labor groups support the motion for reconsideration filed by the Office of the Solicitor General and have also filed their own manifestation before the court.
