DOLE enhances capacity building of labor law compliance officers

FILE PHOTO/ Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) (Photo: Philippine News Agency)

MANILA — The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has reorganized the committee tasked to formulate programs that would enhance the competencies and aptitude of labor law compliance officers (LLCOs).

DOLE Secretary Silvestre Bello III, through Administrative Order 356, reconstituted its capacity building committee, which is responsible for planning and designing the development program for the LLCOs.

“Enhancing the competence and aptitude of our LLCOs is one of our priorities to effectively reinforce the implementation of the labor laws compliance system in the country,” he said in a statement Wednesday.

The new panel is now headed by Undersecretary Joel Maglunsod of the Labor Relations, Special Concerns and Financial Service Cluster, and co-chaired by Undersecretary Bernard Olalia of the Regional Operations and Human Capital Development.

LLCOs are mandated to conduct plant-level joint assessment of compliance by employer and workers’ representatives; initiate awareness-raising and capacity-building of both employers and the workers and unions, and provide free technical assistance on productivity or compliance with technical safety and occupational safety and health standards (OSHS).

On the other hand, the Bureau of Working Conditions (BWC) and Human Resource Development Service (HRDS) have been tasked to develop the curriculum, administer the training and monitoring of the performance of the LLCOs, and conduct capacity building programs based on the results of the needs assessment of the compliance officers.

DOLE has already trained 55 volunteer labor inspectors and is currently hiring 36 new senior labor and employment officers (SLEO).

The agency is also requesting Congress for additional 200 new LLCOs to complement the existing 541 LLCOs in charge of assessment and inspection of around 937,554 small, medium and big business establishments in the country.

As of July 19, a total of 63,752 workers were already regularized and more workers are expected to enjoy their right to security of tenure as compliance orders were already issued to various establishments, which were inspected by the LLCOs. (PNA)