Business and Economy
DOLE shrugs off employers’ group warning on job losses due to D.O. 174
An official of the Department of Labor and Employment shrugged off the statement of the employers’ group on the impact of the issuance of Department Order No. 174, or the Department Order on Contracting and Subcontracting (Photo: DOLE – Bureau of Workers with Special Concerns/Facebook)
MANILA—An official of the Department of Labor and Employment shrugged off the statement of the employers’ group on the impact of the issuance of Department Order No. 174, or the Department Order on Contracting and Subcontracting.
DOLE Undersecretary Bernard P. Olalia said that the statement of the employers’ group on massive job loss because of D.O. 174 was an “old story”.
“Iyong sinasabi nilang maraming mawawalan ng trabaho ay lumang istorya na. Lagi namang sinasabi at kinakatwiran nila iyon, kahit noon pa. Sabi nga kapag ayaw, maraming dahilan,” said Olalia.
He added that D.O. 174 prohibits illegal contracting agreements, including the “endo” and “555” schemes.
Olalia also said that the new department order will be stricter in the implementation of Articles 106 to 109 of the Labor Code.
He added that all contractualization practices designed to circumvent the law and withhold workers’ rights would now be banned.
The DOLE Undersecretary for Regional Operations said that the Department was also finalizing the guidelines on deputizing labor groups and other organizations to help in assessing the more than 90,000 establishments targeted this year.
“We are in the last phase of polishing the guideline. We hope to issue it the soonest,” said Olalia.
He added that under the guidelines, the labor groups and some government and non-government organizations, including those in the medical industry, would be deputized to assist the Department in inspecting establishments in their particular industry.
To ensure the effective implementation of the guidelines, Olalia said that the DOLE Labor Law Compliance Officers (LLCO) will still supervise the assessment of the establishments.
