Even as they welcome the pronouncement by President Marcos of the inclusion of three of their labor agenda in the Philippine Development Plan (PDP), employers are pushing for amendments in “antiquated laws” that need to be adjusted with the times and to suit the local setting.
Sergio Ortiz-Luis, president of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) at the Laging Handa public briefing yesterday stressed the importance of the President’s commitment on the inclusion in the PDP of the group’s priority agenda: reasonable regulations for alternative work arrangements, the effective use of the wage fixing mechanism and promotion of productivity.
“We have laws, a lot of laws in fact. Some lawmakers try to adopt the best practices around the world but these are not applicable in the local setting,” Ortiz-Luis said.
Ortiz-Luis took a swipe at “some (companies) implementing work-from-home which apply for incentives when it is those that are on site that strive harder.”
The ECOP chief said while the tripartite wage setting may not be the ideal way, “it is the best that can work outside the political and emotional” issues.
Ortiz-Luis also said labor laws should not only focus on wages but should also improve productivity, which in recent years, has deteriorated. – Irma Isip
