No decision on NCR wage hike yet as board still assessing indicators

Metro Manila workers will have to wait longer before they could get their much-needed wage hike, as the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board-National Capital Region (RTWPB-NCR) deferred deliberations on the wage petitions filed by different labor groups in June.

The region’s wage board earlier promised to release its decision this month, but Kim S. Lagcao, secretary of the RTWPB-NCR, said the members of the board need more time to assess crucial socioeconomic indicators.

“We are still waiting for instructions from the board [on when to deliberate the wage-hike petitions]. Hopefully, we can conduct it the soonest,” Lagcao told the BusinessMirror.

Still, Lagcao added: “It is not safe to say [there was no progress because] the proposals, together with the socioeconomic indicators, will be taken into consideration during the deliberations.”

Lagcao noted that the board is monitoring the movement of determinants of wage increase, such as the prices of basic commodities and inflation, to ensure it hands down a verdict that is just to both workers and employers.

“These socioeconomic indicators are so vital during the deliberations because of their movement, such as inflation, [which] has increased from 3.1 percent to 3.8 percent, according to the Neda [National Economic and Development Authority]. Such is important to consider in determining the possible adjustment [of the wage hike],” Lagcao said.

The RTWPB-NCR is assessing the demands of the Association of Minimum Wage Earners and Advocates Philippine Trade and General Workers Organization (AMWEA-PTGWO); the Associated Labor Unions (ALU); and the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP).

The TUCP is pushing for an across-the-board wage hike of P259, higher than the P184 demanded by the ALU and the P175 sought by the AMWEA-PTGWO.

The deliberation is to be conducted by a seven-member committee comprised of two labor representatives, two employer representatives and three government officials. Angelita D. Senorin of the TUCP and lawyer Herman N. Pascua Jr. of the ALU will represent the workers, while lawyers Alberto R. Quimpo and Vicente Leogardo Jr. of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines will represent the employers.

The government will be represented by Reynaldo R. Cancio of the Neda, Anacleto C. Blanco Jr. of the Department of Trade and Industry and Henry John S. Jalbuena of the Department of Labor and Employment.

In a previous interview with the BusinessMirror, Labor Undersecretary Joel B. Maglunsod said the RTWPB-NCR should understand the gravity of its decision on the wage-hike proposals.

“In my opinion, the wage board must approve a wage hike favorable to the demands of the labor groups,” Maglunsod said.

“Our workers contribute to the expansion of Philippine economy, so let us not treat them like street scavengers begging for alms.” - By Elijah Felice Rosales

Gov’t workers hail Senate passage of ILO convention

ILO Convention 151 protects government workers' rights to organize and negotiate employment conditions

FRONTLINER. DSWD staff accepting requests for assistance at the agency's crisis intervention unit. Photo by Patty Pasion/Rappler

MANILA, Philippines – Government employees applauded the Senate’s ratification of the 3-decade old convention that aims to protect their rights, seeing this as the key to further their campaign against government rightsizing and regularization of contractual workers.

Confederation for Unity Recognition and Advancement of Government Employees (Courage) vice president Santiago Dasmariñas said that the Interntional Labor Organization (ILO) Convention 151 would oblige the government to allow workers to unionize and negotiate employment terms.

“Aside from the national laws, we now have an international law that is specific for the public sector. Through this, the ILO can now call on the government just like what it does for the private sector [workers],” Santiago said in a phone interview with Rappler on Monday, August 14.

Courage is the umbrella organization of the labor unions in different government agencies. It has been active in pushing for the ratification of the ILO Convention 151 since 1978.

The treaty is the counterpart of ILO Conventions 87 and 98, which assures private sector workers with the right to organize and the right to collective bargaining.

Santiago explained that while collective bargaining occurs between unions and their public sector employers, it is only limited to benefits and other rights. Salary rate is not included because it is dependent on Congress and the Salary Standardization Law.

Slow compliance

Despite this, workers still call on the government's compliance to the treaty. Manny Baclagon, president of the social welfare department’s Social Welfare Employees Association of the Philippines (SWEAP) said that it takes time for government to comply with treaties like this.

“Nasa Saligang Batas na natin iyang right to unionize. Nasa Article 13. Dapat lang hinihiling lang namin kahit di immediate compliance kundi progressive realization nung mga rights na sinasabi nila,” he said.

(The right to unionize is included in our Constitution. It’s in Article 13. What we are asking is the progressive realization of the rights mentioned if they cannot immediately comply with it.)

Among the rights they clamor for is the right to conduct strikes and the right to security of tenure. The treaty urges the government to grant the workers their general civil and political rights aside from the right to organize and collective bargaining.

Regularization of workers has been a big concern for contractual members of the bureaucracy fearing they will be the first casualties of the efforts to streamline the government through the rightsizing bill. (READ: Contractual frontliners vulnerable to effects of gov't rightsizing)

Out of the 2.4 million workers in government, a quarter or 595,162 are under job order and contract of services arrangements.

“This just adds basis for workers to defend their rights. Like the proposal to streamline the bureaucracy, the convention may be a way of counteracting that because it recognizes civil and political rights [of the workers],” explained Gene Niperos of the Alliance of Health Workers.

“It can be interpreted as liberally as possible [as long as it’s] in the context of social justice,” he added.

End endo

Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) also hailed the success of their counterparts in the public sector.

“We are the first Asian nation to ratify this ILO convention and by this ratification we bind ourselves to the right of government workers to unionize. Public sector unionism can only mean a stronger, more assertive civil service,” said TUCP Vice President Luis Corral in a message to Rappler.

It was President Rodrigo Duterte who endorsed the ratification of the convention to the Senate in May this year. TUCP is now looking forward that the President will take action on the measures seeking to end contractualization in the country.

“We await for the Presidential certification of HB 444 and major amendments to cure Department Order 174. This is crucial to ensuring endo will finally end as promised by Duterte,” he said. – Rappler.com / Patty Pasion @pattypasion

DoLE’s move to review high-heel policy lauded

A labor group on Sunday lauded the pronouncement of the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) that it is now considering regulating the mandatory wearing of high-heeled footwear in workplaces.

The Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) said the proposal is a significant step for the government towards improving the working condition of workers, who are required to wear high heels by their management.

“The ALU-TUCP commends the swift action made by DoLE on a request made by salesladies to do away with the wearing of high heel shoe because it causes pain and exposes them to the risk of sliding, falling, and tripping off,” ALU-TUCP spokesperson Alan Tanjusay said in a statement.

ALU-TUCP is against the mandatory wearing of high heels due to its supposed negative effects to the posture of its users.

“Most of these salesladies have been enduring the pain and the risks caused by wearing high heels shoes for the entire period of the shift for many years because they will be fired whenever they complain against it,” Tanjusay said.

Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre Bello III said he has already created a technical working group to conduct a study and stake holder consultation to craft a new policy that will regulate the use of high heels.

Tanjusay said they will continue to monitor the developments on Bello’s proposal.

“ALU-TUCP envision a policy that cover not only salesladies but promodizers in supermarkets, waitresses, hotel and restaurant receptionists, flight attendants and lady security guard,” Tanjusay said. - By: Samuel Medenilla / Tempo

Labor task force to meet ​on ​rest periods to mall employees

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III (davaotoday.com)

DAVAO CITY, Philippines — Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said the labor department is coming up with an administrative order to direct all business establishment to grant rest periods for salesgirls including male employees.

In an interview at the sidelines of the opening of the One-Stop Service Center for Overseas Filipino Workers in Gaisano Mall here Friday, Bello said the technical working group will meet on Tuesday, Aug. 15 to come up with a recommendation which will be the basis of the order.

“During their period of working they should be allowed rest time. Pumunta ka dun sa SM, walang saleslady na nakaupo, puro nakatindig yan. So hindi lang alisin yung requirement of high heels, we should also allow our salesgirls and security guards and other male workers some rest time,” Bello said.

He said in a span of an hour salesgirls or personnel who are commonly required to stand for a long period of time during their duty should be given “five to 10 minutes rest time” every hour.

“Depende kung gusto nila palabasin muna yung workers kung san sila pwede magrest ang importante allow them some period of resting (It depends on employers whether they want to allow the workers to go out to where they could rest, the important thing is they will be given some period of resting),” Bello said.

Meanwhile, the Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) lauded DOLE for acting swiftly on the concerns of the salesladies.

Bello on Thursday ordered the DOLE’s Occupational Safety and Health Center (OSHC), the Bureau of Working Conditions (BWC) and the Bureau of Special Working Concerns (BSWC) to come up immediately with a policy in view of an occupational safety and health hazards faced by salesladies in wearing high-heel shoes and giving rest periods to both male and female security guards and salespersons.

ALU-TUCP spokesperson Alan Tanjusay said the most of the workers were employed as short-term contractual employees.

“Most of these salesladies have been enduring the pain and the risks caused by wearing high heels shoes for the entire period of the shift for many years because they will be fired whenever they complain against it. Apart from having no security of tenure, they have no union to help them improve their plight,” Tanjusay said.

The ALU-TUCP last week urged the DOLE to draft a policy forbidding employers nationwide from requiring women employees to wear high heel shoes at work because it poses danger to their safety and health in the absence of a government regulation.

Tanjusay said the ALU-TUCP envision a policy that cover not only salesladies but promodizers in supermarkets, waitresses, hotel and restaurant receptionists, flight attendants and lady security guards. - ZEA IO MING C. CAPISTRANO (davaotoday.com)