DOLE V holds basic labor laws orientation

By Marlon A. Loterte

Thursday 21st of June 2012

LEGAZPI CITY, June 21 (PIA) -– The Department of Labor and Employment regional office V conducted an orientation-seminar on basic labor laws as part of the agency’s Technical Assistance Visit.

Attended by 96 participants from the labor and management departments, who were tenants of the city’s Pacific Mall, the seminar was held at mall’s activity room on June 18.

“They (participants) were not just happy but should I say elated by the orientation. Most of them said it was their first time to understand the labor laws,” DOLE V assistant regional director Exequiel Ronnie de Guzman said.

DOLE V conducts the TAV seminar after its inspection program, focused for this month on malls and its tenants.

Based from the on-going inspections, the minimum wage rate is among the commonly violated labor laws by about 85 percent of the mall’s tenants.

“The strategy is first to check on the extent of violations committed by these tenants then as a developmental approach, educate them on the proper laws then wait for their action. If they decide to follow DOLE then it’s good. But if they decide to continuously violate labor laws, then it will be another story,” DOLE V regional director Nathaniel Lacambra said.

Also discussed in the said orientation seminar are matters on security tenures specified under the Sub-contracting Law, minimum wage payment, overtime and holiday pays, leave benefits and other benefits that must be given to mall employees.

“The employers are not anymore ignorant. They have been educated and trained so they will have no more excuse not to abide by the rules of DOLE,” Lacambra said. (MAL/SAA-PIA V/Albay)