Saturday, September 29, 2007 Malls support move to let salesladies sit By Grace L. Plata
THE proposed ordinance requiring employers to provide seats for female workers is on its way to being approved with the support shown by mall and superstore operators in the city during the first committee hearing on the matter held Thursday afternoon.
In an interview Friday, Councilor Edgar Ibuyan, chair of the Sangguniang Panlungsod committee on labor and employment opportunities and proponent of the said ordinance said he was happy with the outcome of the hearing.
"Wala sila'y objection ug nagpahayang ug suporta alang sa ordinansa (They don't have any objections and they support the ordinance)," Ibuyan said.
According to Ibuyan, the executives even agreed among themselves to submit a joint position paper to the committee in expressing their desire to protect the rights of women employees.
This came even as there were already 105 establishments monitored by Ibuyan's office that have already complied with the ordinance even as it is still in its proposal stage.
Ibuyan said that three of his colleagues in the City Council have manifested to co-sponsor the proposed ordinance which includes penal provisions for establishments that are not in compliance to the directive.
Among the city establishments, those that sent representatives included SM City Davao, Gaisano South Citimall, NCCC, Gaisano Mall of Davao, Davao Central Warehouse and Unitop.
