Labor office warns employers to observe standards

THE Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) in Eastern Visayas warned business establishment owners to observe labor standards, particularly on granting the prevailing wages for the workers.

Speaking in a press conference, Labor Regional Director Exequiel Sarcauga said the non-giving of the right wages to the workers is not only being violated by local employers but even foreigners who are doing their businesses in the region.

He said the department would conduct its “routinary inspection” to business establishments operating in the region to check if the owners are following the correct daily minimum wage entitled to the workers.

Based on Wage Order Number 16 issued last year by the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWP), which is chaired by the labor regional director, the current daily minimum wage was pegged at P253.

Director Sarcauga said he finds it sad that several business establishments are not following the wage order issued and what makes the situation worst is that business establishments owned by foreigners appear to deliberately violating this order.

“There are so many unscrupulous foreigners who are doing business here (in the region) who are not following our labor standards, including giving the correct daily wage of their workers,” Sarcauga said during the weekly media forum “Harampang ha PIA” held at the regional office of the Philippine Information Agency.

He said this malpractice among foreign owners is not only happening in the region but in almost all parts of the country, including in Central Visayas where he was once the regional labor director.

“These are commonly violated by Taiwanese, Chinese and Koreans,” Sarcauga said. “Probably, they lack information or knowledge on (our) labor standards. But it should not be the case; they are to follow our laws.”

In an initial report of the regional labor office, out of the 43 establishments visited last year, 73 percent of them were said to have complied with the labor standards, including the giving of the correct daily wage.

Meantime, Sarcauga said his office would also look closely into those in the mining industry, especially those employing minors.

“Minors are not to work in a working environment which is hazardous to them,” he said.

The labor regional director said he would work closely and coordinate with the regional office of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) on this matter.

“I assure you that we will visit these mining sites to check if there are minors working there,” Sarcauga said. (Leyte Samar Daily Express)