The Department of Labor recently said that the most common labor violation among companies in the country was the lack of first aid personnel, as many businesses, especially micro-establishments, consider the safety measure as an additional, unnecessary expense.
Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma said the other common violations included the “nonprovision of safety officers or safety training, nonformulation of company occupational safety and health program, nonregistration of establishment, and noncompliance with fire safety inspection by the Bureau of Fire Protection.”
Based on Department of Health records, over 27,600 occupational injuries were recorded nationwide in 2021, of which nearly 40 percent were open wounds, while some were superficial injuries and sprains.
Laguesma explained that most business owners do not want to spend money on workplace safety measures because they view it as an added cost that is separate from operational expenses. “The usual issue is they see it as an additional cost … that’s why we always say the provision of personal protective devices or equipment … should not be seen as part of their expenses … it is part of their operations,” he said.
A network of business process outsourcing employees has filed a formal complaint against 30 call center firms based in Cebu for violating labor and occupational safety laws during the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck the province on September 30.
The complaint was lodged with the DOLE Region 7 on October 2, with the group saying it received more than a hundred reports of agents being forced to work despite their pleas to focus on their safety and families following the strong quake.
The DOLE reported that on Sunday, its Region 7 office had issued a cease and desist order to a BPO company in Cebu that was “found to have no emergency and disaster preparedness and response plan during natural calamities, such as earthquakes,” in its occupational safety and health program.
Laguesma said that punishing companies should be the last resort, stressing the importance of conducting a social dialogue between the employees and employers first.
The workplace is where millions of Filipinos spend a lot of their time, and that is why there are the rules and regulations that make it as safe as possible. The provision of trained first aid personnel, and an occupational health and safety program, may seem like violations that some companies can tolerate, but these can lead to larger violations like the failures at some BPOs during the earthquake in Cebu. That is why employers, employees, and government agencies responsible, need to work together to ensure a work environment where safety is a priority and not just a slogan.*
