Marcos vows protection of labor sector rights, welfare
President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. on Tuesday told labor leaders that he would ensure workers' rights and welfare.
'Nakausap ko ang ating mga labor leaders para tiyakin na mananatiling protektado ang karapatan at kapakanan ng ating mga manggagawa,' Marcos said in a social media post as he met with labor leaders at the Goldenberg Mansion within Palace complex.
'Patuloy ang suporta ng gobyerno sa bukas at makabuluhang usapan tungo sa trabahong may dignidad, sahod na sapat, at kinabukasang may pag-asa para sa bawat pamilyang Pilipino,' he added.
In a separate press statement, TUCP Party-list Representative and House Deputy Speaker Raymond Democrito Mendoza thanked Marcos for meeting them and listening to the voice of labor.
'We brought forward the necessity of strengthening the right of workers to freely form and join unions not only because it is a fundamental constitutional right guarantee and part and parcel of international labor standards, but also because it is vital to building back better our national economy and unlocking hundreds of thousands of investment and employment opportunities through tariff-free access and free trade agreements,' Mendoza said.
The country's largest labor center TUCP is pushing for the immediate passage of: (a) Union Formation Act to remove barriers and make it easier to form unions free from interference and intimidation; (b) Assumption of Jurisdiction Act to limit the overbroad discretionary power of the Labor Secretary to assume jurisdiction over labor disputes from 'industries indispensable to national interest,' which can be any industry, to only 'industries engaged in essential services' as defined by the ILO, wherein 'interruption of which would endanger life, personal safety, or health'; and (c) Workers' Right to Strike Act to remove dismissal and imprisonment as penalties for illegal strikes because these are too harsh and disproportionate to this fundamental labor right.
Mendoza said the labor sector trusts that the President's commitment would be matched by concrete executive and legislative support for these critical reforms.
'Our workers deserve more than lip service—they demand and deserve laws that promote their dignity at work and in life, substantially raise their wages towards true living wages, and create new, permanent, and decent jobs,' Marcos said.
The TUCP vows to continue working together with social partners in the government and employers to ensure that labor rights are not just promised, but upheld at all times, said Mendoza. —LDF, GMA Integrated News
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