With just days left before Congress adjourns, labor groups under the National Wage Coalition (NWC) are intensifying pressure on lawmakers to approve the proposed P200 across-the-board wage hike, warning that any delay would reset progress and stall hopes for meaningful pay increases.
On Monday morning, June 2, members of NWC—including the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines, Kilusang Mayo Uno, Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino, and the Federation of Free Workers—will stage a picket at the House of Representatives to demand swift passage of the bill on third and final reading.
“The ball is now in the House as the Senate passed its version as early as February last year,” NWC convenor and Federation of Free Workers president Sonny Matula said in an ABS-CBN News report, underscoring the urgency of the measure with Congress set to adjourn on June 13.
Matula emphasized the ticking clock, noting that only six session days remain. “This is the moment of truth for the 19th Congress,” he said.
The proposed legislation, which cleared the House labor committee in January, mandates a uniform P200 increase in daily wages for all private sector workers, regardless of business size or capitalization. This would override the usual regional wage-setting mechanism that allows exemptions for small businesses.
If enacted, the measure would mark the first nationwide legislated wage hike since the P25 increase under the Wage Rationalization Act of 1989.
While labor advocates say the increase is long overdue and necessary to inch closer to a living wage—estimated at P1,200 per day—business groups remain opposed, warning of job losses and price hikes.
Supporters of the bill counter that the wage hike will strengthen purchasing power, boosting overall economic activity. However, lawmakers like Rizal 4th District Rep. Juan Fidel Felipe Nograles have suggested refining the bill to potentially exempt micro, small, and medium enterprises.
Matula warned that if the House fails to pass the bill this session, “we’ll be back to square one” when the 20th Congress convenes on July 28.
