THE Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) urged the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) Thursday, March 21, to be vigilant against discriminatory practices of employers once the new Expanded Maternity Leave (EML) law is implemented.
In a statement, TUCP president Raymond Mendoza said the government should closely monitor the hiring practices of members of the Employers' Confederation of the Philippines (Ecop) after the EML law takes effect.
“The Dole has now been put on notice that there is a strong inclination by many employers to hire males disproportionate to females, solely because women are capable of procreation, and that EML is a cost that these employers are unwilling to bear,” said Mendoza.
“The Dole must now speak loudly and clearly -- this is unlawful discrimination. Dole must now state that it will not tolerate any management conduct deviating from observance of the concept of non-discrimination," he added.
The labor organization issued the warning after receiving information that an internal survey of Ecop members showed a high 66 percent to 70 percent of employers admitting that their on-the-ground hiring practices would be greatly affected by the recent passage of the EML law.
Mendoza said such discriminatory acts would be violative of several laws, including the anti-discrimination law and the Labor Code.
“This is an expression of intent by these employers that they will violate the law. This is tantamount to an admission that employers will now be discriminating against women in their hiring practices,” said Mendoza.
Last month, President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act 11210 or the EML Act.
Under the EML Act, working mothers are provided with 105 days (with additional 15 days for single mothers) of maternity leaves.
The TUCP, then, warned employers that workers shall be closely monitoring their hiring practices and see if there would be any discrimination that will occur.
“We urge employers to step back from the brink, and that they follow the law, which is intended to build a more decent and fair society," he said.
“This anti-women attitude has no place in a modern and modernizing economy,” added Mendoza. (HDT/SunStar Philippines)