MANILA, Philippines - More foreigners are entering the country to illegally seek employment, according to the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP).
TUCP spokesman Alan Tanjusay said the number of illegal foreign workers in the country has been increasing in the past years.
“The influx of migrant workers is a growing phenomenon in the country today,” he said.
TUCP estimates that over 3,500 foreigners are working in the country illegally.
The figure is expected to increase unless the government takes the necessary measures to control the entry of illegal foreign workers, he added.
Tanjusay said the bulk of undocumented foreign workers are Chinese nationals and others are South Koreans, Japanese, Indonesians, Malaysians and Vietnamese.
Undocumented foreign workers are often employed in the construction, manufacturing, electronics and services industries in Metro Manila, Central Visayas, Davao region, Zamboanga peninsula, Bataan and Batangas, he added.
The increasing number of migrants working without government permits and without fulfilling other requirements for alien workers has very serious implications in the current employment and underemployment situation, Tanjusay said.
Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said only legal foreign workers pass through the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
The entry of undocumented foreign workers is a concern of the Bureau of Immigration (BI), she added.
TUCP is pushing for the creation of a tripartite committee comprised of representatives from DOLE, BI and other concerned government agencies to stop the influx of illegal migrant workers in the country.
Tanjusay said the proposed committee is to ensure migrant workers go through the legal process and comply with the requirements of the Alien Employment Permit (AEP).
“The number of illegal migrants is growing very fast that it immediately needs government oversight to ensure that labor laws and standards are in place and are working to make sure there are no abuses and exploitations taking place,” he said. - By Mayen Jaymalin (The Philippine Star)
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
Monday, April 13, 2015
TUCP submits May 1 agenda
The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines-Nagkaisa submitted to Malacañang its proposed discount card and unemployment insurance programs for minimum-waged workers for approval of President Aquino during the traditional Labor Day breakfast with labor groups in the palace on May 1, a press release from the TUCP said.
The group also proposed to Aquino the approval of a majority coconut-farmer administered trust fund to ensure that the proceeds of the P77 billion coco levy are used to promote jobs in the coconut industry and to set up coco-industrial hubs, ensure the completion of CARP with respect to lands under current Notice of Coverage;
Assist the peasant farmers through appropriate support measures and financing including trainings, appropriate technology, and easy-term credit; a return of the subsidy for MRT and LRT users to cushion rising costs for ordinary workers; and pass the Freedom of Information law, the press release said.
The measure, under the proposed Labor Enhancement Assistance Program will assist and empower the basic sectors, include an unemployment insurance policy for the 3.4 million minimum wage earners providing three months of minimum wage salary coverage in cases of retrenchment and a minimum discount card that serves as a voucher or CCT-like program for minimum wage employees to give them a monthly discount on tuition fees, purchase of rice, basic food commodities, medicines worth P2,000, it said.
The March 1 to 7 Pulse Asia Survey on urgent national concerns showed that 4 of the top 5 concerns relate to the daily survival needs of ordinary Filipinos. It showed 46 percent are crying out at inflation, 44 percent have said salaries are too small to cover daily expenses and another 34 percent said there are no decent jobs, the press release added.
TUCP-Nagkaisa executive director Louie Corral said they told Aquino to tap the 2014 P300B excess funds as reported last week by National Economic Development Authority chief Arsenio Balisacan as possible source of the proposed program, the press release added. - The Visayan Daily Star
The group also proposed to Aquino the approval of a majority coconut-farmer administered trust fund to ensure that the proceeds of the P77 billion coco levy are used to promote jobs in the coconut industry and to set up coco-industrial hubs, ensure the completion of CARP with respect to lands under current Notice of Coverage;
Assist the peasant farmers through appropriate support measures and financing including trainings, appropriate technology, and easy-term credit; a return of the subsidy for MRT and LRT users to cushion rising costs for ordinary workers; and pass the Freedom of Information law, the press release said.
The measure, under the proposed Labor Enhancement Assistance Program will assist and empower the basic sectors, include an unemployment insurance policy for the 3.4 million minimum wage earners providing three months of minimum wage salary coverage in cases of retrenchment and a minimum discount card that serves as a voucher or CCT-like program for minimum wage employees to give them a monthly discount on tuition fees, purchase of rice, basic food commodities, medicines worth P2,000, it said.
The March 1 to 7 Pulse Asia Survey on urgent national concerns showed that 4 of the top 5 concerns relate to the daily survival needs of ordinary Filipinos. It showed 46 percent are crying out at inflation, 44 percent have said salaries are too small to cover daily expenses and another 34 percent said there are no decent jobs, the press release added.
TUCP-Nagkaisa executive director Louie Corral said they told Aquino to tap the 2014 P300B excess funds as reported last week by National Economic Development Authority chief Arsenio Balisacan as possible source of the proposed program, the press release added. - The Visayan Daily Star
Sunday, April 12, 2015
TUCP seeks Labor Day breaks for PH workers
The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP)-Nagkaisa has submitted to the government its proposed discount-card and unemployment-insurance programs for minimum-wage workers for approval by President Benigno Aquino 3rd during the traditional Labor Day breakfast with labor groups to be hosted by Aquino in Malacañang on May 1.
“We have submitted to President Aquino our agenda on the May 1 breakfast meeting agenda. These are what we believe as amelioration programs aimed at empowering workers to cope with rising cost of living,” Gerard Seno, the group’s executive vice president said over the weekend.
The group had also proposed to Aquino to approve a majority coconut-farmer administered trust fund to ensure that proceeds from the P77-billion coconut levy fund are used to promote jobs in the coconut industry and set up coco-industrial hubs; ensure completion of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program with respect to lands under current notice of coverage; assist farmers through appropriate support measures and financing including training, appropriate technology and easy-term credit; return of subsidy for Metro rail Transit 3 and Light Rail Transit 1 and LRT 2 users to cushion rising costs for ordinary workers; and pass the Freedom of Information bill.
The Labor Enhancement Assistance Program seeks an unemployment insurance policy for the 3.4 million minimum wage earners, providing them three months of minimum wage salary coverage in cases of retrenchment; and a minimum discount card that serves as a voucher for minimum wage employees, giving them a monthly discount of P2,000 on tuition, purchase of rice, basic food commodities and medicines.
On March 1 to 7, a Pulse Asia survey on urgent national concerns showed that 4 of the top 5 concerns relate to daily survival needs of ordinary Filipinos. It found that 46 percent cried out at inflation, 44 percent said salaries are too small to cover daily expenses and 34 percent said there are no decent jobs.
On March 18, the wage board approved a P15-increase in the minimum wage in Metro Manila as against the TUCP-Nagkaisa petition of P136.
TUCP-Nagkaisa executive director Louie Corral said they had asked the President to tap the reported P300 billion in excess government funds in 2014 to finance the proposed unemployment insurance and the discount card programs. - by JING VILLAMENTE / The Manila Times
“We have submitted to President Aquino our agenda on the May 1 breakfast meeting agenda. These are what we believe as amelioration programs aimed at empowering workers to cope with rising cost of living,” Gerard Seno, the group’s executive vice president said over the weekend.
The group had also proposed to Aquino to approve a majority coconut-farmer administered trust fund to ensure that proceeds from the P77-billion coconut levy fund are used to promote jobs in the coconut industry and set up coco-industrial hubs; ensure completion of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program with respect to lands under current notice of coverage; assist farmers through appropriate support measures and financing including training, appropriate technology and easy-term credit; return of subsidy for Metro rail Transit 3 and Light Rail Transit 1 and LRT 2 users to cushion rising costs for ordinary workers; and pass the Freedom of Information bill.
The Labor Enhancement Assistance Program seeks an unemployment insurance policy for the 3.4 million minimum wage earners, providing them three months of minimum wage salary coverage in cases of retrenchment; and a minimum discount card that serves as a voucher for minimum wage employees, giving them a monthly discount of P2,000 on tuition, purchase of rice, basic food commodities and medicines.
On March 1 to 7, a Pulse Asia survey on urgent national concerns showed that 4 of the top 5 concerns relate to daily survival needs of ordinary Filipinos. It found that 46 percent cried out at inflation, 44 percent said salaries are too small to cover daily expenses and 34 percent said there are no decent jobs.
On March 18, the wage board approved a P15-increase in the minimum wage in Metro Manila as against the TUCP-Nagkaisa petition of P136.
TUCP-Nagkaisa executive director Louie Corral said they had asked the President to tap the reported P300 billion in excess government funds in 2014 to finance the proposed unemployment insurance and the discount card programs. - by JING VILLAMENTE / The Manila Times
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
Group’s take on maternity bills
THE EMPLOYERS Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) on Tuesday sought further clarification regarding several bills that expanded the benefits of women in the workplace.
“ECOP fully supports the objective of the bill raising the maternity benefits for women. There is, however, a need to clarify some ambiguities in the bill, if it is raising monetary benefit or number of maternity leave days, or both. Until such clarification is made, ECOP reserves the right to submit its official position on the bill,” Edgardo G. Lacson, ECOP president, said in a text message.
Three weeks ago, the group was unable to attend a hearing held by the Senate committee on women, family relations and gender equality, which discussed maternity leave benefits provided under Senate bill Numbers 288, 2083 and 2084. Senate Bills 2661 and 2710 also aim to prolong the maternity leave benefits of female employees, married or unmarried, in the government and private sectors.
Maternity leave for normal birth is only 60 days and 78 days for caesarean birth.
In a document submitted by ECOP, the group enumerated the “ambiguities” it found in the bills.
The group also refused to issue comments until they are clarified.
“Until the ambiguity is resolved, ECOP cannot offer any position,” the document read.
For its part, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) expressed full support for the proposed law. According to TUCP Spokesperson Alan A. Tanjusay, employers must not deprive nursing women their due compensation. -- Jauhn Etienne Villaruel / BusinessWorld
 |
| ECOP President Edgardo G. Lacson: Clarify maternity benefits -- BW File Photo |
“ECOP fully supports the objective of the bill raising the maternity benefits for women. There is, however, a need to clarify some ambiguities in the bill, if it is raising monetary benefit or number of maternity leave days, or both. Until such clarification is made, ECOP reserves the right to submit its official position on the bill,” Edgardo G. Lacson, ECOP president, said in a text message.
Three weeks ago, the group was unable to attend a hearing held by the Senate committee on women, family relations and gender equality, which discussed maternity leave benefits provided under Senate bill Numbers 288, 2083 and 2084. Senate Bills 2661 and 2710 also aim to prolong the maternity leave benefits of female employees, married or unmarried, in the government and private sectors.
Maternity leave for normal birth is only 60 days and 78 days for caesarean birth.
In a document submitted by ECOP, the group enumerated the “ambiguities” it found in the bills.
The group also refused to issue comments until they are clarified.
“Until the ambiguity is resolved, ECOP cannot offer any position,” the document read.
For its part, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) expressed full support for the proposed law. According to TUCP Spokesperson Alan A. Tanjusay, employers must not deprive nursing women their due compensation. -- Jauhn Etienne Villaruel / BusinessWorld
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)