The Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) has decried the petition filed by the Trade Union Congress of the Philippine (TUCP) seeking a P85 wage increase. ECOP said the wage hike being sought by the labor group is "premature" and has "no basis." It cited, in particular, the Rues on Minimum Wage Fixing issued by the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) where no petition for any wage adjustment shall be entertained unless there are "supervening conditions." ECOP furthermore said prices of fuel and other petroleum products have remained relatively stable and that inflation rates are within manageable levels, noting that inflation rate in the National Capital Region (NCR) was pegged at 2.4% as of February this year based on government figures. (BCM) .

Source: Manila Bulletin - April 7, 2013