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Article

1 Jan 2018

Author:
Jhoanna Ballaran, Inquirer.net

Philippines: Labour group pushes for passage of safer workplace bill following death of 38 call center employees in Davao mall fire

"Labor group pushes for passage of safer workplace bill", 01 January 2018

A workers’ group…urged the Senate to expedite the passage of the bill on occupational safety that impose stiff penalties to companies that fail to observe safety standards in workplace.

Federation of Free Workers (FFW) pushed for the passage of Senate Bill No. 1317 or the Occupational Safety Hazard (OSH) Code, following the deaths of 38 call center employees in a Davao City mall fire….

“Workers can’t afford to wait for another raging inferno before Congress…adopt a new law…” said FFW president Atty. Sonny Matula.

Matula said the Philippines has no comprehensive law on occupational safety and health, noting that the government only has separate administrative issuances….

These orders…“…are difficult to implement with fines ranging only from P1,000 to P10,000,” Matula explained.

The measure strengthens the Labor secretary’s visitorial powers and sets the administrative fine to violators with P100,000 per day the violation is committed or such amount set by the Labor secretary.

It also fines employers with P100,000 to P250,000 for every injury and P250,000 to P500,000 for every death that resulted in the violation of the law.