Labor laws compliance is good business. The Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP), the International Labour Organization – Manila (ILO Manila), and the Clark Development Corporation (CDC) reiterated this to an audience of HR professionals and business executives in a seminar on labor inspection last August 1&2, 2018 at the Stotsenberg Hotel in Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga.
The event was part of a project of ILO Manila in partnership with ECOP on improving the labour inspectorate of the Philippines. The two-day seminar entitled, “Getting Ready for Labor Inspection: Labor Standards and Compliance”, aimed to prepare companies on the labor inspection process as an assessment of labor laws compliance. It was designed with an overall goal of improving the value chain in the Philippines.
Ms. Cerilyn Pastolero, Project Coordinator from ILO Manila, introduced the project sponsored by USDOL entitled “Building the Capacity of the Philippines’ Labour Inspectorate”. According to her, the main purpose of labor inspection is to ensure that relevant labor legislation is respected in the workplace. As such, it is important to capacitate the business sector to promote compliance among the tripartite parties.
The seminar took off from the discussion of labor compliance as a business strategy and went on to explain employee-employer relationships – a contentious issue in the labor context. Technical sessions also included discussion of the General Labor Standards (GLS), Occupational Safety and Health Standards (OSHS), and Social Protection. The seminar combined discussions, case studies, question-and-answer to capacitate businesses on laws, issuances, tools, and processes relevant to labor standards and compliance. Atty. Benedicto Ernesto R. Bitonio from the UP School of Labor and Industrial Relations (UP SOLAIR) was the resource speaker for the said event. He also served as undersecretary of the Department of Labor and Employment.
The activity was attended by locators of the CDC from various industries such as manufacturing, telecommunications, aviation, services, BPOs, and tourism. Mr. Rommel Narciso, Assistant Vice President for External Affairs of CDC, referred to the partnership as “both meaningful and breakthrough. The labor inspection semi13nar is different from usual as it is from the employers’ perspectives thus would create an air of openness. Labor inspection will foster economic growth and active participation in quest for Decent Work.”
As a single voice for the entire business community on important national issues related to employment, industrial relations, labor issues and related social policies, ECOP takes an active role in capacitating employers to ensure survival and growth in an environment of radical changes.