LABOR groups have asked a Pasig City court to lift its injunction blocking the implementation of the P85-wage increase in Metro Manila, citing the employer-petitioners’ failure to post a P10-billion bond required by the court.
Federation of Free Workers (FFW) President Sonny Matula, together with members of 10 labor groups under the Nagkaisa! Labor Coalition, is seeking leave to intervene in the case before Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 152, and is asking the court to dissolve the injunction and allow Wage Order 27 to take effect.
Labor groups argued that the injunction should be lifted if the employer-petitioners cannot comply with the bond requirement.
“Walang jurisdiction ang korte; wala ring P10B bond ang mga employer-petitioners na dineposito sa korte sa Pasig City. Wala nang tinatayuan ang pagpigil sa dagdag na sahod (The court has no jurisdiction, and the employer-petitioners have not deposited the P10 billion bond with the court in Pasig City. There is no longer any basis for stopping the wage increase),” Matula said in a statement on Saturday.
Labor groups said employer-petitioners stated in their pleading that they did not have the practical capacity to post the P10-billion bond in cash and that no readily available surety bond of that amount was available to them.
Groups questioned why the wage increase should remain suspended if the condition attached to the injunction could not be met.
Matula said that the amount involved in the bond should also be considered alongside the wages workers are not receiving while the injunction remains in effect.
“We understand — malaking pera ang P10 billion. Pero malaking pera rin ang nawawala sa mga manggagawa kapag ang wage increase ay naka-freeze (We understand — P10 billion is a lot of money. But workers also lose a lot of money when the wage increase is on hold,” Matula said.
NCR Wage Order 27 provides for a P60 daily minimum wage increase beginning July 25, followed by an additional P25 increase on Jan. 20, 2027, according to the labor groups.
Groups are asking the court to allow the first increase implemented from July 25, 2026, and the additional P25 increase to take effect on Jan. 20, 2027.
FFW and the other proposed intervenors also argued that the injunction has consequences beyond the employers who brought the case to court.
Matula said employer-petitioners had argued that they went to court to protect their own corporate interests and did not represent all employers in Metro Manila.
“Dalawang kumpanya ang pumunta sa korte, pero napakaraming manggagawa ang naperwisyo (Two companies went to court, but a large number of workers were directly affected by the disruption),” Matula said.
He said the P10-billion bond serves as security against potential damages that would arise while the injunction remains in effect.
“If petitioners cannot satisfy that condition, workers should not be the ones required to absorb the risk,” Matula added.
Labor groups are asking RTC Branch 152 to dissolve the injunction rather than reduce the bond requirement.
The labor groups said they want Wage Order 27 implemented beginning July 25, with the additional P25 increase taking effect on Jan. 20, 2027.
