Despite the appeal filed by the Unity for Wage Increase Now (UWIN), the P35 daily minimum wage increase in the National Capital Region (NCR)will take effect on July 17.
Officials of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said filing an appeal to Wage Order No. NCR-25 of the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) – NCR won’t stop it from taking effect.
“Despite the filing of an appeal, the wage order will be effective on July 17,” said Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma.
This was seconded by RTWPB-NCR chief Sarah Mirasol.
“The filing of the appeal will not stay or postpone the effectivity of the new wage order,” said Mirasol.
Earlier, the NCR wage board announced its decision to approve a P35 increase in the daily minimum wage rate of private sector workers in Metro Manila.
The approval will lead to wage adjustments from P610 to P645 for the non-agriculture sector and from P573 to P608 for the agriculture sector, service and retail establishments employing 15 or fewer workers and manufacturing establishments regularly employing fewer than 10 workers.
The new wage order is set to take effect after 15 days from its publication, or on July 17, 2024.
In response, petitioner UWIN filed an appeal asking the wage board to raise the daily minimum wage rate in Metro Manila to P1,207 by granting a P597 wage increase.
UWIN said this is because the wage order was marred by “tantamount abuse of discretion” on the part of the NCR wage board.
Nevertheless, UWIN said it is prepared to accept whatever will be the decision on its appeal.
“UWIN will still continue the fight for the family living wage, regardless of what they will say,” UWIN spokesman Charlie Arevalo said in a separate interview.
