Associated Labor Unions

12 July 2020

ILO upgrades estimate of jobs lost during 2nd qtr

THE International Labor Organization (ILO) said it revised upwards its estimate of work hours lost during the second quarter due to the pandemic to the equivalent of 400 million jobs lost from 305 million, adding that recovery prospects for the second half are clouded. In its ILO Monitor: COVID-19 and the world of work: 5th Edition, the ILO said the lost work hours are expressed in job-loss terms on the basis of an eight-hour workday. It now estimates the lost hours at 14\% of the total, up from 10.7\% previously. The latest estimates presented in this edition of the ILO Monitor reveal a decline in global working hours of 14\% in the second quarter of 2020 (up from the previous estimate of 10.7\%), which is equivalent to 400 million full-time jobs, the ILO said in the June 30 report.

6 July 2020

10-M mawawalan ng trabaho hindi lang dahil sa pandemic

Sampung milyong Pilipino ang mawawalan ng trabaho, ani Labor Sec. Silvestre Bello III sa Senado. Aabot pa nga sa 15 milyon ang bilang, dagdag ni Alan Tanjusay ng Associated Labor Unions. Yon ay mga manggagawa pa lang sa bansa mismo; hindi pa kasama ang marami sa 10 milyong overseas Filipino workers na nagdudusa ngayon. Unang dahilan ay mas tinamaan ng COVID-19 pandemic ang ilang industriya. Lumagapak ang turismo at biyahe. Nagsara ang resorts, hotels, tourist spots, at travel agencies; nanlupaypay ang airlines at sea ferries. Apektado ang mga restoran, manukan, babuyan, feeds, at gamot sa hayop. Pati rin bus, jeepney, taxi, at gasolinahan. Na-lockdown ang mga barberya, beauty parlors, malls, tindahan ng damit, sapatos, accessories. Walang bumili o repair ng gadgets, appliances, kotse. Tinatayang 25 milyong empleyado ang nabawasan ang kita.

3 July 2020

TUCP asks Congress to reject anti-terrorism bill

The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines has called on Congress to reject the anti-terrorism bill.The group said the most effective measure against terrorism is the efficient, graft-free, and fair delivery of government services to the public and addressing hunger and poverty. We already have the 4Ps law, the Universal Health Care law, and the Free Tuition law, said TUCP in a statement on Wednesday, June 3. The group said if these measures are implemented well, along with reforms in the public healthcare system, a fiscal stimulus package that focuses on saving jobs, hastening the rebuilding of Marawi, and undertaking a nationwide railways construction program to develop regional and provincial economic hubs, are the key strategies to stamp out terrorism.

3 July 2020

TUCP assails DOLE business-as-usual response to unemployment

The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) assailed the business as usual menu of program response of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to the unprecedented scale of unemployment brought about by the pandemic. The TUCP earlier projected 5 million to 10 million unemployed workers due to the pandemic, and 3 to 4 million in floating status under a no work, no pay arrangement, while the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) indicates a 17.7 percent unemployment rate which accounts for 7.3 million unemployed in the workforce in the second quarter of 2020, nearly a four-time increase from the 5.1 percent unemployment rate in the same quarter of 2019. The Department of Labor and Employment has not demonstrated urgency and a full grasp of the magnitude of the displacement of workers

3 July 2020

Labor to DoLE: Check workplaces thoroughly

A big labor group has called on the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) to intensify its inspection of workplaces to ensure that health standards are observed. Workers health and safety is vital in keeping our economy alive despite the nationwide health and economic crisis caused by Covid-19 pandemic, said Gerard Seno, national executive vice president of the Associated Labor Unions. Aside from routine disinfection of offices, enterprises and business establishments, employees should be provided with company-paid face masks, gloves, alcohol and soap, and other personal protective equipment, Seno said.