After nearly two years of being stalled, the proposed law for an across-the-board wage hike finally hurdled the House Committee on Labor and Employment on Thursday.

The swift deliberation and unanimous approval of the unnumbered bill — a consolidation of four similar measures — followed a meeting between Speaker Martin Romualdez, other House leaders, and major labor groups earlier this week to address the longstanding clamor for a legislated wage hike for workers in the private sector.

The proposed P200 increase in the daily salary was a consensus reached during the closed-door meeting.

The proposed law seeks to mandate employers in the private sector, whether agricultural or non-agricultural, to provide an additional P200 to the daily salaries of their workers.

If passed into law, employers found to be non-compliant would be fined up to P100,000 and may face jail time of up to four years.

The bill also seeks to prohibit employers from offsetting the increase with previously granted wage adjustments unless these were explicitly anticipated under collective bargaining agreements.

Existing benefits and allowances cannot be reduced as a result of the pay hike.

During the brief deliberation, Gabriela Rep. Arlene Brosas, one of the bill’s proponents, stressed that while the measure is a positive step forward, the government could do more by further increasing the proposed P200 daily salary hike.