Injunction/TRO Under The NLRC Rules
Injunction/TRO Under The NLRC Rules
Injunction/TRO Under The NLRC Rules
- Article 218(e) of the Labor Code provides the following conditions in the issuance of a
permanent or temporary injunction:
o (1) That prohibited or unlawful acts have been threatened and will be committed
and will be continued unless restrained, but no injunction or temporary restraining
order shall be issued on account of any threat, prohibited or unlawful act, except
against the person or persons, association or organization making the threat or
committing the prohibited or unlawful act or actually authorizing or ratifying the
same after actual knowledge thereof;
(2) That substantial and irreparable injury to complainant’s property will follow;
(3) That as to each item of relief to be granted, greater injury will be inflicted
upon complainant by the denial of relief than will be inflicted upon defendants by
the granting of relief;
(4) That complainant has no adequate remedy at law; and
(5) That the public officers charged with the duty to protect complainant’s
property are unable or unwilling to furnish adequate protection.
- Rule X, Section 1 of the NLRC Rules provide:
o SECTION 1. INJUNCTION IN ORDINARY LABOR DISPUTES. - A
preliminary injunction or restraining order may be granted by the Commission
through its Divisions pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (e) of Article 218 of
the Labor Code, as amended, when it is established on the basis of the sworn
allegations in the petition that the acts complained of involving or arising from
any labor dispute before the Commission, which, if not restrained or performed
forthwith, may cause grave or irreparable damage to any party or render
ineffectual any decision in favor of such party.
A certification of non-forum shopping shall accompany the petition for
injunction.
The writ of preliminary injunction or temporary restraining order shall
become effective only upon posting of the required cash bond in the amount to be
determined by the Commission to answer for any damage that may be suffered by
the party enjoined, if it is finally determined that the petitioner is not entitled
thereto.
o An injury is considered irreparable if it is of such constant and frequent
recurrence that no fair and reasonable redress can be had therefor in a court of
law, or where there is no standard by which their amount can be measured with
reasonable accuracy. It is considered irreparable injury when it cannot be
adequately compensated in damages due to the nature of the injury itself or the
nature of the right or property injured or when there exists no certain pecuniary
standard for the measurement of damages. (PAL v. NLRC, GR No. 120567,
March 20, 1998)
In the above mentioned case, some employees of PAL filed with the
NLRC a petition for injunction enjoining PAL to cease and desist from
enforcing its Memorandum of Dismissal. The NLRC issued an injunctive
writ. The SC said that NLRC exceeded its jurisdiction in issuing the
injunctive writ because there was no labor dispute between the parties at
that time since no complaint for illegal dismissal has been filed yet.
- The power of the Labor Arbiter to issue a writ of preliminary injunction may only be
exercised as an incident to the cases pending before them in order to preserve the rights
of the parties during the pendency of the case, but excluding labor disputes involving
strike or lockout. (Pondoc v. NLRC, GR No. 116347, October 3, 1996)
- Rule X, Section 6 of the NLRC Rules provide:
o SECTION 6. TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER; REQUISITES. - If the
petitioner shall also allege that, unless a temporary restraining order shall be
issued without notice, a substantial and irreparable injury to petitioner's
property will be unavoidable, such a temporary restraining order may be issued
upon testimony under oath, or by affidavits of the petitioner's witnesses,
sufficient, if sustained, to justify the Commission in the issuance thereof.