The Supreme Court has given respondents 10 days to submit their comments on a petition seeking to overturn lower court rulings that blocked the implementation of the ₱85 minimum wage increase in the National Capital Region.
In a Friday statement, the high tribunal directed Readycon Trading and Construction Corporation, R-II Builders Inc., and the Alliance of Philippine Fishing Federations Inc. to reply to the plea filed by labor groups under the Kampihan ng Maralita at Manggagawa (Kamanggagawa) Party-list.
The petitioners are asking the high court to invalidate orders issued by the Regional Trial Courts of Pasig City and Navotas City. These lower courts had halted Wage Order No. NCR-27, which authorized the pay adjustment for Metro Manila workers, following legal challenges from the business respondents.
The Pasig RTC granted Readycon Trading and R-II Builders a status quo ante order, a temporary restraining order, and a writ of preliminary injunction, preventing the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board-NCR and the National Wages and Productivity Commission from enforcing the wage order.
Meanwhile, the Navotas RTC issued a similar status quo ante order and scheduled a videoconference clarificatory hearing on the petition from the fishing federation.
In their filing, the labor groups urged the Supreme Court to halt further proceedings in both trial courts, contending that legal precedent requires appeals against wage board orders to be submitted directly to the wage commission rather than trial courts.