Labor rights violations remain high: DOLE

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The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) yesterday called on employers to police their ranks on reports incidence of labor standards and labor rights violations by some employers continue to be high.

DOLE Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma made this call at the National Conference of Employers hosted by the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) yesterday.

…” help us police …so that we can cultivate together a culture of voluntary compliance with all labor laws. We have a functioning institution to resolve conflicts in labor relations. We also have a principle of shared responsibility in our Constitution, which empowers and expects workers and employers to first solve their problems through voluntary mechanism at the enterprise level,” Laguesma said.

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He added voluntary compliance by employers with their legal obligations is a way of preventing workplace conflicts and promoting productivity.

“Even more important, a peaceful workplace characterized by sound, rules- based labor relations not only directly contributes to more investments. It also contributes to preserving and expanding our share in trade and export markets, especially in countries where compliance with social and labor standards is a precondition to access,” Laguesma added.

Laguesma vowed to continue discussions on modernizing labor laws through the tripartite and consensus mechanisms among government, workers and employers.

He said the tripartite bodies will be reconstituted very soon to ensure genuine, legitimate and competent representation from the employers and the workers sector.

“The task of the executive branch of government is to ensure respect and full implementation of all existing laws and to continuously review and amend if necessary, existing administrative regulations,” Laguesma said.

Ahead of his speech, ECOP chairman Edgardo Lacson called on government “to join us in our discussion on the need for stronger social protection for our workers, specially for those who have been displaced or undergoing job transition.”

Lacson also stressed it is equally imperative that similar safety nets be extended to job creators, the business owners, mainly micro, small and medium enterprises, suffering from the serial lockdowns, economic contraction and shock from natural and man-made calamities.

Laguesma said in response, the government is also committed to improving social protection for all.

“For many of us, social protection issue was solely associated with welfare and doleouts, but it should not be the case. When we talk about social protection in relation to labor and employment… (it would) include enabling businesses and workersrecover from limitations and contingencies such as lack of, and loss of jobs. We should be looking at social protection through the lens of active labor market measures, skills, retraining and upgrading, improving productivity and providing free public services to facilitate employment,” Laguesma said.

Laguesma also urged ECOP to use NCE as a platform to raise awareness on ethical labor and social issues.

Lacson also called on the need to revisit many policies to “rethink our existing investment incentives in the transformation of traditional jobs through mentoring in digital skills, data analytics, and information technology.”

Lacson noted as particularly critical labor policy reforms in transitioning to the new unfamiliar order with the new employment compact such as work from home and remote or flexible time arrangement.

“Business must adapt to compete for talent with the noticeable shift in employees’ preference for work flexibility, mobility, and greater autonomy given the inefficient transport infrastructure in the country,” he said.

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