DOLE marks foundation of workers rights as Labor Code turns 50

SIZZLING WORK DAY. Construction workers begin fencing works amid a sweltering day at the Philippine National Railways station in Alabang on April 4, 2024, for the new North-South Commuter Railway project. The International Labor Organization on Tuesday (April 23) warned against the effects of extreme heat on workers’ mental health. (PNA file photo by Yancy Lim)

MANILA – The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) commemorates the signing of the Labor Code of the Philippines 50 years ago which serves as the foundation of Filipino workers’ rights and industrial peace.

In a news release on Wednesday, DOLE said the Labor Code “not only promotes employment but would also sear the rights, security, and welfare of every Filipino worker as inalienable.”

Former President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. in 1974 signed Presidential Decree 442, the decree instituting a labor code, revising and consolidating labor and social laws to afford protection to labor, promote employment and human resources development, and ensure industrial peace based on social justice.

This has become the fundamental law that governs the welfare, protection, and well-being of every Filipino worker.

The DOLE also hailed then Labor Minister Blas Ople who facilitated the law into existence, making him the “Father of the Labor Code.”

“The Labor Code secured protection of workers and their welfare through its provisions on pre-employment and employment rules on minimum wage and overtime pay, working hours, health and safety standards, and collective bargaining, among others,” the DOLE said.

During the celebration of the 122nd Labor Day in Malacanang, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. also recalled his father’s signing of the law 50 years ago.

He also quoted the former president as saying that growth will always be tempered by justice and that development will always be weighed by the dignity of man.

“Exactly 50 years ago, on these very same grounds, my father, then-President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., signed the Labor Code of the Philippines, in the presence of representatives of various sectors. The Labor Code, borne out of the vision for development, employment, and social justice, has been one of the most enduring pieces of social legislation in the country,” Marcos said.

Since then, the Labor Code has evolved amid the challenges brought in by modern times, to provide further protection to special groups such as women, minors, and those in the informal and vulnerable sectors.

For the past 50 years, the Labor Code has remained the bedrock from which other edicts and laws emanated, such as the Wage Rationalization Act of 1989, the Batas Kasambahay Law, the 105-Day Expanded Maternity Leave Act, laws against child labor, and the mandatory provision of social security benefits to workers.

Another offspring of the Labor Code was the institutionalization of the speedy resolution of labor disputes through the establishment of the National Labor Relations Commission, as well as ensuring industrial peace and scaffolding it through the wisdom of tripartite councils and other bodies.

The DOLE, meanwhile, called on all employers, workers, and policymakers to draw strength from the milestones of the Labor Code in promoting social justice under the “Bagong Pilipinas” (New Philippines).

Labor Secretary Bienvinido Laguesma vowed to champion workers rights’ while providing them with timely service.

“Sa ilalim ng patnubay ng administrasyon ng ating Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., higit na pag-iibayuhin ng kagawaran ang pagpapaabot ng mga kailangan at angkop na programa para sa ikabubuti at ikakaangat ng buhay ng manggagagawang Pilipino (Under the guidance of the administration of our President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., the department will further enhance the delivery of necessary and appropriate programs for the betterment and upliftment of the lives of Filipino workers),” Laguesma said