THE Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)-Central Luzon said Monday, September 28, that laborers and other workers at Real Steel Corporation (RSC) are treated well by the management.
It said the workers are provided with airconditioned barracks and three meals a day while the entire town of San Simon and the province of Pampanga are under health quarantine due to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.
During a routine and compliance inspection at the compound of the steel plant in Barangay San Isidro, San Simon following reports of alleged maltreatment and violations of occupational safety and health standards, DOLE-Central Luzon Director Maria Zenaida Angara-Campita, accompanied by the department's regional field officers, said "she was surprised of what she noticed because the living quarters of stay-in laborers are fully airconditioned with sufficient running water for their sanitation and that everything is provided for them."
"The company observes health standards and that was the reason why the workers were not allowed to go out was because of their safety and to prevent them from being exposed outside due to the coronavirus," said Campita, adding that safety and health protocols such as foot bathing and hand sanitizing are being observed before entering the premises of the steel plant.
She said minor violations have been found out during random interviews but corrective measures have been put up to improve the operations and management of the steel factory.
On the claims of a national TV anchor on social media regarding alleged "maltreatment, abuse and rescue" of employees, Campita noted during a phone interview with media the concerned workers voluntarily tendered their resignation.
In earlier reports, the RSC management said the company has more than 400 employees and only 42 filed their resignation "not because they were maltreated or abused in the work place and that those who resigned have appealed for reinstatement."
"Honestly, I was surprised of the rescue story. There was no one to be rescued as they voluntarily resigned in the first place," said Campita during the phone interview. "Nahihiwagaan lang ako...kasi kung meron pang-aabuso at maltreatment sa kanila eh bakit gusto nilang makabalik sa trabaho?"
She added that the 42 workers are now considered locally stranded individuals temporarily staying at the municipal hall building while waiting for their travel papers to be processed.
The local government unit and the Department of Social Welfare and Development provided a pack of grocery items for each of them.
"They are under the custody of the San Simon local government while waiting for compensation from RSC," said Campita, adding that the steel factory management assured the 42 workers of their compensation including unpaid wages amounting to more than a million pesos.
She said computations have already been made by RSC management and promised that the compensation to the workers will be released during a meeting at the DOLE-Central Luzon office on Tuesday, September 29. (JTD)