THE DEPARTMENT of Labor and Employment (DoLE) has assured the International Labor Organization (ILO), which currently has a high-level mission in the Philippines to look into the government’s compliance with international labor conventions, that action plans are being discussed to address workers’ concerns.
In a statement published on Monday evening, DoLE said Labor Secretary Bienvenido E. Laguesma gave the assurance to the team of ILO representatives who arrived in the country on Monday.
“One of its priorities for 2023 is to craft a tripartite roadmap and action plan in consultation with government agencies concerned as well as workers’ and employers’ organizations to address these issues,” the department said.
DoLE started talks with labor groups in July last year on the issues that will be tackled by the mission, Mr. Laguesma was quoted telling the ILO officials.
ILO representatives Thomas Mikael Janson (Government), Felix Mark Anthony (Workers) and Scott Barklamb (Employers) will hold dialogues with labor groups and employers from Jan. 23 to 26.
Philippine trade unions on Monday submitted a joint report to the ILO mission on recent human rights violations against workers and union organizers.
The report highlighted the recent killing of labor union leader Emmanuel Asuncion, who was shot to death during police raids in 2021; cases of labor activists being tagged as communists; and trumped-up charges filed against labor activists.
The groups said the Philippine government has consistently failed to comply with ILO conventions on freedom of association and the right to organize. — John Victor D. Ordoñez