Leaders of labor groups interpreted his statement as a diplomatic rejection of the wage hike petition. Last year, the Association of Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines- (ALU-TUCP) filed a P154 wage hike petition for workers of the National Capital Region (NCR) but only P10 was granted. On Monday, the ALU-TUCP petitioned for a P184 across-the-board increase for Metro Manila workers, whoseP494 daily minimum wage has eroded by 27.3 percent or down to P357.09 because of inflation. The RTWPBs are mandated by law to determine and fix the minimum wage rates and structure applicable in a particular region. Increasing the minimum wage was one of the issues raised by workers during their labor dialogue with President Rodrigo Duterte on Labor Day.

Source: Manila Times May 25, 2017 15:56 UTC