Bill lowering retirement age of mining workers gets union support

LABOR UNIONS in Philex Mining Corp. have supported a proposed law that will further lower mining workers’ retirement age by five years, citing health hazards that their members encounter everyday.
Both surface and underground workers should be allowed to retire at 50, Engineer Renerio C. Lardizabal, Jr., president of the Philex Mines Supervisory Employees’ Union (PMSEU), told lawmakers at a Senate hearing last week.

Although the proposed retirement age for mining workers has already been set at 50 by a 1998 law that revised the country’s Labor Code, its implementation was suspended after the Social Security System (SSS) refused to comply, saying that the law did not specifically amend Republic Act No. 1161 or the Social Security Law. Since then, all parties concerned agreed to a middle ground of 55 years old.

“The exposure of underground and surface workers are the same with regard to the hazardous conditions -- gas fumes, dust and others that would affect their health. So we are proposing that, through the Honorable Congressman of Benguet, we can lower it to 50 so workers will still be fairly young when they leave Philex,” Mr. Lardizabal said.

Mr. Lardizabal made these remarks last week at the Senate, which is hearing Senate Bill Nos. 1370 and 1062. Both filed by Senator Jose E. Estrada, the bills, which remain at the committee level since 2013, aim to lower the compulsory retirement age of all mine workers to 50 years old by amending the Labor Code.

At the House of Representatives, a similar bill filed by Benguet Lone District Rep. Ronald M. Cosalan -- House Bill No. 4271 -- was approved May last year.

Robert Carajay, a member of the Philex Rank and File Employees-Union Associated Labor Unions, expressed support for Mr. Lardizabal’s position.

“I support the statement of the president of the supervisory union to lower the retirement age. The workers don’t really reach the age of 60 years old, they die earlier than that,” Mr. Carajay said.

“Our experience is that the workers who retire at the age of 60 years old, the statistics say that they die after three years,” Jose Maria S. Batino, deputy executive director of Occupational Safety and Health Center of the Department of Labor and Employment said.

For his part, Ronald R.S. Recidoro, vice-president for Legal & Policy of the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines (CoMP) said it is studying the effect of the measures on the industry.

“Next week we will follow up on the results of that so we can come out with a position,” Mr. Recidoro said.

Philex Mining Corp. is one of three key Philippine units of Hong Kong-based First Pacific Co. Ltd., the others being Metro Pacific Investment Corp. and the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT). Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a majority stake in BusinessWorld. -- Alden M. Monzon BusinessWorld