1,940 Western Visayas companies inspected

AROUND 500,000 workers in some 24,735 establishments including 1,940 in
Western Visayas benefited from the labor enforcement action program (Leap) of the Department of Labor and Employment.

Preliminary reports from the Bureau of Working Conditions (BWC) revealed that of the establishments inspected, around 16,647 companies were found compliant while violations were noted in some 8,088 others.

“Of the number, 1,254 were immediately and successfully corrected at the plant level resulting in restitution amounting to P17,038,748 which benefited 12,781 workers,” the report added. BWC is the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) agency in-charge of the Leap implementation.

It added that total monetary awards and settlements worth P384,453,526 consisted of the correction of labor standards, which yielded P366,135,652 in benefits and small money claims amounting to P18,317,874.

The intensive inspection initiative is being conducted jointly by the BWC and the Dole’s regional offices. “From February to November 2011, we attained a 101.29 percent performance, surpassing by 1.29% target for the year.”

The accomplishment came ahead of the moratorium on labor inspection for the Christmas and the New Year from December 1, 2011 to January 31, 2012 to prevent graft and corruption in labor inspection and for Dole to prepare its implementation of the labor standards enforcement program (LSEP) next year.

Project Leap urges establishments to practice voluntary self-regulation towards increased compliance with emphasis on the tripartite approach and voluntary codes of best practices to promote the welfare and protection of workers.

“Industries should realize the importance of sustaining a labor standards-compliant culture in all workplaces, which is essential not only in increasing the productivity of companies but in safeguarding workers’ rights and safety,” the Dole explained. “Our workers’ well-being should always come first.”

The project’s priorities include labor inspection of security and manpower agencies, subcontractors, cooperatives, manufacturing establishments and restaurants/fast food enterprises.

It covers general labor standards, including the minimum requirements prescribed by existing laws, rules and regulations as well as other issuances relative to wages, hours of work, cost of living allowances and other monetary and welfare standards.

Labor inspectors are tasked to inspect 10 companies each week with focus on corrections/restitutions to improve standards compliance among industries.

Dole regional offices, meanwhile, are required to determine the number of ‘inspection-able’ establishments under their areas of coverage, especially those that exhibited and consistently pursued compliance with labor standards, for recognition by the government and the tripartite partners. (CGC)