Expanded workers’ protection, industrial peace in labor agenda
Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz has bared a labor and employment agenda echoing the call of President Benigno Aquino III for expanded welfare and protection for all Filipino workers and sustained industrial peace based on social justice and the promotion of workers’ constitutionally-guaranteed rights.
“The work of the Secretary of Labor and Employment is not an easy task, but I am very much willing and inspired as I had been in public service since more than 36 years ago,” she said.
Baldoz said the DOLE under her leadership will strengthen tripartite consultation and cooperation, which is the hallmark of policy decision making at the department.
“Since last week, I have been already conducting small group meetings with our social partners to solicit their inputs. I shall expand these meetings very soon because I am very determined to enhance social dialogue,” she said.
Baldoz vowed to implement reforms in the labor and arbitration procedures and cut red tape in the DOLE bureaucracy. She particularly mentioned the NLRC, noting that the order of President Aquino is to restore integrity and fairness in the system by ensuring speedy disposition of pending labor cases with quality decisions.
Also on the top of the new secretary’s agenda is ensuring improvement in labor standards compliance.
“The International Labor Organization has audited our country’s compliance with labor standards and has noted some innovative ways on strengthening labor standards compliance. We shall submit the ILO’s findings and recommendations to the tripartite council for consideration,” she said.
Baldoz said she will see to it that the ladderized program now under the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority is expansively promoted, saying the program’s equivalency system ensures workers’ competency and skills needed for viable employment.
“The ladderized program allows workers to work and at the same time graduate to earn a higher level of qualifications and skills,” she said.
On overseas employment, she said that the reform measures she initiated for household service workers have successfully cut down deployment of HSW to vulnerable destinations, but noted there is again an increase in the deployment of HSW.
Baldoz said there is a need for an “honest-to-goodness” training, including strengthened pre-departure orientation to ensure a higher level of protection for HSWs.
