MANILA — The Supreme Court has directed several companies and government wage bodies to comment within 10 days on a petition challenging lower court orders that suspended the implementation of an P85 minimum wage increase in the National Capital Region.

The high court said Friday it had ordered Readycon Trading and Construction Corp., R-II Builders Inc., Alliance of Philippine Fishing Federations Inc., the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board of the National Capital Region (RTWPB-NCR) and the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) to respond to the petition.

The petition, filed by the Kampihan ng Maralita at Manggagawa (KAMANGGAGAWA) Party-list and other labor groups, seeks to overturn orders issued by the Regional Trial Courts of Pasig and Navotas in cases challenging Wage Order No. NCR-27.

The wage order increased the minimum wage in Metro Manila by P85.

The Pasig RTC granted Readycon Trading and R-II Builders’ requests for a status quo ante order, a temporary restraining order and a writ of preliminary injunction preventing the RTWPB-NCR and NWPC from implementing the wage increase.

In a separate case, the Navotas RTC ordered a clarificatory hearing by videoconference on the petition of the Alliance of Philippine Fishing Federations for a status quo ante order.

The labor groups are also asking the Supreme Court to halt further proceedings before the two RTCs, arguing that wage board decisions are subject to an appeal process provided by law and should not be challenged through separate court proceedings.

The Supreme Court’s En Banc acted on the petition, docketed as G.R. No. E-07950, during its Aug. 26 session.

The court directed the respondents to submit their comments within 10 days of receiving notice.

The case remains pending before the Supreme Court, which has not yet ruled on the merits of the petition or on the validity of the lower courts’ orders.