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Sunday, February 5, 2017
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THE FEB. 2 fire that hit a factory of housing materials may be far away – at the Cavite Export Processing Zone in Rosario, Cavite – but its implications reverberate throughout the country. For one, it highlights occupational health and safety standards in workplaces. Are these being followed?
The tragedy raises the question of whether there have been fundamental changes two years after the Kentex factory fire that led to the death of 72 workers and half a year after the assumption to power of the Duterte administration. Blood is again on the hands of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Philippine Export Processing Authority (PEZA). It is DOLE, with its Department Order No. 131-13, that encourages a culture of voluntary compliance with labor laws, thereby decreasing government responsibility in enforcing occupational health and safety standards.
On the other hand, PEZA appears to be legitimizing the widespread practice of contractualization to attract foreign investors to locate their plants in the country. Contractualization further lowers workers’ wages, removes benefits and job security, and attacks their rights to organize.
There must be accountability for the grave disregard of workers’ health and safety. Republic Act 7916 or Special Economic Zone Act must be revisited. It should have safeguards so that foreign capitalists in economic zones could not exploit workers and violate their rights and welfare in the name of gaining profit. Poor working conditions violate safety standards.
The Cavite factory fire tragedy showed that capitalists and even the government fail to see workers as humans. Aside from poor working conditions, contractualization and meager wages remain rampant across the country. After seven months, the Duterte administration still failed to address the pressing concerns of workers. Worse, labor contractualization schemes are being legitimized through Department Order 168.
The challenge to the Duterte administration is to create jobs that are safe, provide decent wages and humane working conditions for Filipino workers.
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