LABOR group Partido Manggagawa (PM) yesterday called on the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to take action and prevent a repeat of the mass layoff of workers at Sports City, which is based in the Mactan Economic Processing Zone.
In a statement, PM said it is imperative for the DOLE to take steps in ensuring the protection of workers amid the worsening economic crisis.
“The worsening economic crisis and other such covariate shocks demand that the government set in place social protection systems that mitigate the impact on jobs, income, health, and well-being of people,” PM said.
“The DOLE should act now and not wait for another Sports City. Social protection is one response to this challenge,” it added.
The labor group said there is adequate basis to fear more layoffs after what happened with Sports City employees.
“If huge companies like Sports City are reeling from economic shocks, what more MSMEs (micro, medium and small enterprises), which comprise 90 percent of the total number of enterprises,” said PM.
It said that one possible solution is by having the government provide wage subsidies equivalent to 75 percent of the prevailing minimum wage.
