QUEZON CITY — The UNITED BPO Workers of the Philippines (UNITED BPO) today hailed the approved resolution of the National Tripartite Industrial Peace Council (NTIPC) last Thursday, July 16, creating the Ad Hoc BPO Subcommittee as a historic victory, calling it a major step forward in establishing a formal avenue for tripartite dialogue on urgent labor, safety,
and employment concerns within the sector.
The newly approved subcommittee is mandated to serve as a dedicated venue for continuing tripartite dialogue. It will tackle pressing concerns in the BPO industry, including freedom of
association, collective bargaining, occupational safety and health (OSH), workforce adjustments, technological developments, productivity, and other emerging concerns.
While the coalition maintains that a legislated Magna Carta of BPO Workers remains the ultimate goal for industry-wide security, UNITED BPO is pushing the new body to swiftly address widespread concerns affecting BPO employees nationwide.
“The millions of BPO workers in the Philippines have powered this industry, and this committee is an important step towards making sure they have their fair share in its success and a voice in its future,” said Christy Hoffman, General Secretary of UNI Global Union. “This permanent seat
at the table is the result of years of organizing, and we’ll keep standing with workers as they
continue pushing for the Magna Carta of BPO Workers.”
“This ad-hoc subcommittee is a hard-won space for the millions of BPO workers who keep our economy afloat but are too often left to fend for themselves against questionable corporate practices. We are not going to wait for a bill to pass before we start protecting our people. We firmly urge the subcommittee to immediately sit down and establish concrete protections — guaranteeing mandatory health benefits, hazard-aligned OSH programs, and clear guidelines for ethical AI deployment that protects jobs instead of replacing human labor. The work begins now,” said Roland De La Cruz, President of UNI Global Union - Philippine Liaison Council (UNI-PLC) and one of the co-convenors of UNITED BPO.
Alongside De La Cruz, who actively lobbied for the body’s creation, are Jesus Villamor and Angelita Senorin from LIKHA Federation, both of whom are UNI-PLC affiliates and co-convenors of UNITED BPO. Also instrumental in the successful lobbying efforts for the subcommittee’s establishment was Rainier Cruz, General Secretary of UNI-PLC and President of NUBE-IFO.
Call center workers in other regions have expressed strong support for the initiative, noting that localized institutional engagement will finally extend much-needed protections to major industry hubs outside of Metro Manila.
“In regions like Central Visayas, we see firsthand how the lack of a specialized, industry-specific framework leaves workers vulnerable to rapid technological shifts and sudden redundancies,” said National Federation of Labor General Secretary Atty. Rouland Sitoy, a member of the Regional Tripartite Industrial Peace Council (RTIPC) in Region 7 and also a co-convenor of
UNITED BPO. “The establishment of this subcommittee gives us the institutional teeth to bridge local enforcement gaps. Securing robust regional implementation will ensure that Visayas-
based BPO companies align with fair labor standards, especially in terms of security of tenure and occupational safety.”
For the rank-and-file workers who face the daily pressures of the call center floor, the policy
development translates to a long-awaited chance to have their voices heard directly by decision-makers.
“Sa dalawang dekada ko sa industriya, kapag may problema kami sa workload, night shift, o
pabago-bagong metrics, wala kaming matakbuhan kundi HR na madalas kumakampi sa
management,” said Livy Bensi, a BPO worker from Cebu. “Ngayong may subcommittee na, may
pag-asa na kaming mailatag ang totoong kalagayan namin nang hindi natatakot na mapag-
initan o matanggal.”
“Para sa aming mga ordinaryong ahente, napakalaking bagay nito kasi sa wakas, may boses na kami sa lamesa kung saan ginagawa ang mga desisyon,” said Andrew Buyco, a BPO worker of 18 years from Makati. “We are excited to expect improvements in dialogue here in NCR.”
UNITED BPO vows to actively participate in the subcommittee's proceedings, ensuring that equal representation is strictly maintained and that the final policies serve to uplift, rather than exploit, the country’s most vital workforce.
UNITED BPO, led by UNI-PLC, is a unified coalition of BPO workers, federations, and workers’
associations championing the collective struggle for safe, fair, and dignified workplaces in the Philippine BPO sector.
- UNITED BPO
