A LABOR coalition on Thursday called for the immediate addition of P60 to the daily minimum wage of Metro Manila workers after a 20-day temporary restraining order (TRO) on its implementation expired.
In a press statement, the Nagkaisa! coalition asked regional trial courts (RTCs) not to issue a preliminary injunction or a new restraining order that would further block the wage order’s implementation.
“The TRO has expired. We hope no new injunction replaces it,” the group said in Filipino. ”If there is no longer a lock, let the P60 be released and reach the pockets of the workers.”
Nagkaisa! emphasized that under Rule 58 of the Rules of Court, a TRO is a temporary remedy. The coalition argued that in the absence of a preliminary injunction, no legal barrier remains to prevent the enforcement of Wage Order 27.
The group maintained that the wage increase’s original effectivity date of July 25 remains legally binding, adding that workers are entitled to the P60 wage differential for workdays accumulated since that date, subject to final judicial determination.
Legal representatives for the coalition noted that Article 126 of the Labor Code prohibits courts from issuing preliminary or permanent injunctions against proceedings before the National Wages and Productivity Commission, or Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards.
The group also reiterated its petition filed before the Supreme Court, seeking an authoritative ruling to clarify whether regular trial courts hold jurisdiction over regional wage orders, aiming to avoid recurring litigation across different judicial branches.
“We did not approach the Supreme Court to bypass the RTCs. We went because we need the court of last resort to define where the jurisdiction of regular courts ends and where the specialized wage-setting process under the Labor Code begins,” the group said in Filipino.
