THE General Alliance of Workers Associations (Gawa) will spearhead “modified” small group meetings and teleconferences for its allied labor groups after the implementation of the general community quarantine in the province on June 1, its official said.
Wennie Sancho, secretary general of Gawa, said the local labor sector will evaluate the “terms and conditions” of employment under the “new normal” and its economic impact on the workers and their families.
Sancho said they are willing to cooperate with the management to facilitate the recovery of the economy amid the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.
“Any salary adjustment to be made by the management to keep their business afloat, should be done in consultation and with the consent of the workers,” he said, adding that “it is important that the “labor protection clause” of the 1987 Philippine Constitution should be upheld.
The labor group is making an appeal to the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) to safeguard the interest of the workers against unscrupulous employers who might take advantage of the situation due to the “precariousness” of jobs in anticipation of the rising tide of unemployment brought by the pandemic.
Gawa has advised workers who were able to return to their works to comply with the health protocol imposed under the altered working environment and to make the necessary adjustments for the economy to “bounce back.”
Also, Sancho said they will hold consultations with the displaced overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to assist them in getting their benefits in line with the resettlement program of the government.
Labor relations under the new normal will be a big challenge for labor, he added.