Tripartite council backs wage hike implementation

The Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE), together with labor and employer groups under the National Tripartite Industrial Peace Council (NTIPC), reaffirmed their commitment to tripartism and the rule of law in determining regional minimum wages.

The council adopted and signed a resolution titled “Upholding Tripartism, Genuine Representation, and the Rule of Law in Regional Wage Determination,” emphasizing the role of workers, employers and government in wage-setting under Republic Act 6727, or the Wage Rationalization Act.

DoLE and NTIPC Chair Secretary Francis N. Tolentino said the council would continue using social dialogue to address wage concerns.

“Let us continue this kind of engagement at a table where we can discuss, exchange views and, in the end, show unity,” Tolentino said.

The resolution recognized the mandate of Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards (RTWPBs) to determine minimum wages through consultations, public hearings and evidence-based deliberations involving workers, employers and other stakeholders.

It also stressed that decisions of the specialized wage boards should be respected while remaining subject to the review mechanisms provided by law.

Lift TRO move

The NTIPC likewise reaffirmed tripartism as a system of shared governance in which government, labor and employers collectively deliberate on labor policies and wage concerns.

The council called on all parties to observe the legal remedies, procedures and jurisdictional boundaries under the Wage Rationalization Act, the Labor Code and other applicable laws.

It also urged the prompt and transparent resolution of issues involving wage orders to reduce uncertainty among workers and employers.

The council also expressed support for lifting the temporary restraining order (TRO) against National Capital Region Wage Order 27.

“This is a breakthrough. This just happened today. Employers and employees came together and agreed. All labor groups, together with the employers, ECOP and DoLE, are calling for the lifting of the temporary restraining order,” Tolentino said.

Federation of Free Workers President Jose Sonny Matula and Employers Confederation of the Philippines Governor Antonio L. Sayo said labor and employer groups likewise supported the immediate implementation of the NCR wage increase.

“There is a common position among employers and workers. ECOP is represented and has said that it will respect the implementation of Wage Order 27. From the trade unions, we expressed our support for the immediate implementation of the wage order,” Matula said.

He added that labor groups, employers and DoLE shared the position that the TRO should be lifted and the wage order implemented.