Worsening conditions for the Filipino worker
Majority of those employed today in the Philippines are in
vulnerable or part-time work, hampering many workers’ desire to demand
for a living wage. Even those in full-time work are reportedly under
pressure to comply with various flexible work arrangements.
By MARYA SALAMAT
Bulatlat.com
MANILA – Work is more dangerous than war — that is reportedly the
conclusion of an International Labor Organization (ILO) study on global
health and safety at work. The ILO study revealed that globally, at
least one worker dies at work every 15 minutes. In the Philippines, a
non-government occupational health and safety institute criticized the
lack of concern for health and safety at work as highlighted by the
deregulation of labor inspection as contained in a Department of Labor
and Employment order.
The recent accidental death of a worker in the Korean-owned Hanjin in
Subic, Zambales (which brought to 38 the total number of killed from
work-related accidents), and the fatal fall from a Lucio Tan-owned
construction site that killed 10 construction workers last January, are
just some of the yearly “sacrifices” of workers in unsafe workplaces.
According to Noel Colina, executive director of the non-government
Institute for Occupational Health and Safety (IOHSAD), government
concern and inspection only began after blood had been shed and when
accidents had generated intense publicity. Otherwise, the establishments
in the Philippines are ordered to perform “self-assessments” on whether
they are complying or not with good occupational health and safety
practices.
Most deaths and injuries from work-related accidents and lack of
safety are most common in agriculture, construction, mining and
manufacturing, the industries that are topping the employment targets of
the Aquino administration. Even in services, accidents happen such as
in Ninoy Aquino International Airport when the ceiling collapsed and
injured two workers. Another incident was when nine workers were hit by
lightning while working on the runway.
Despite Aquino’s promised change, though, and against the backdrop of
many workers dying during his first year, it only continued the
self-assessment policy began under Arroyo, noted the non-government
IOHSAD.
Worse joblessness and working conditions
The real number of jobless Filipinos is much higher than what is
reflected in government statistics. According to Ibon, a non-government
economic think-tank, the country’s jobless may reach up to 4.5 million,
or nearly double the government’s estimates of 2.9 million, which is
based on the “new” definition of unemployment that does not include
those who had stopped actively seeking work for various reasons.
The Social Weather Stations’ survey result released last March
painted a grimmer picture: it revealed that up to 11.3 million Filipinos
are jobless, up from 9.9 million in November 2010. Considering that
this huge number of Filipinos has no livelihood to speak of, the poor
and hungry are expected to have increased in number. Yet, they seemed to
have decreased after the government has revised its poverty threshold.
Before, a Filipino is considered poor if he or she earns P52 ($1.21) or
less per day. This was reduced to P46 ($1.07) or less per day. The
revision has brought down the number of registered poor from 28.5
million to 23.1million..... MORE
Source: Bulatlat.com
URL: http://bulatlat.com/main/2011/07/22/worsening-conditions-for-the-filipino-worker/
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