Reaction from the Party list Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) at the Technical Webinar on Corporate Social Responsibility for Policy Makers “The Contribution of Socially Responsible Labor Practices to the Achievement of Sustainable Development in the Philippines”
By Honourable Raymond Democrito Mendoza, Representative of the Partylist Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) at the Technical Webinar on Corporate Social Responsibility for Policy Makers “The Contribution of Socially Responsible Labor Practices to the Achievement of Sustainable Development in the Philippines,” 24 March 2021, Manila, Philippines via Zoom
1. Thank you Ms. Githa Roelans, for the profound inputs on the MNE Declaration and on how can it be utilized to advance the decent work agenda in the private sector and how the Philippine Congress can help operationalize its principles and concepts especially now during the COVID-19 pandemic and the impending economic crisis.
2. We also wish to thank the House Committee on Labor and Employment under the leadership of Chairperson Enrico Pineda, for accommodating this event by the ILO and the TUCP. Our understanding and appreciation of the principles and concepts of the MNE Declaration, Corporate Social Responsibility and decent work have been made critical especially now at the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.
3. We know that in the face of a pandemic, businesses went under. We now have an unprecedented unemployment and underemployment rates, drastic fall in working hours, hundreds of thousands of our migrant workers left high and dry, and millions of Filipino workers and their families are falling through the cracks of poverty. The massive retrenchments, low wages and spiralling costs of basic commodities are forcing them to engage in precarious work – not to mention the wobbly implementation of occupational safety and health.
4. The Philippine Government’s immediate response was to provide wage subsidies to displaced workers and low-income households and financial support for small businesses. But that was not enough. Labor groups and trade unions have called on the government for an inclusive economic recovery that will help save jobs and the lives of our workers and their
families. The TUCP has put forward a labor agenda that calls on government to deploy a massive jobs generation program, simply because the private sector could not do it alone.
5. From Ms. Roelans’ presentation, we take note of the MNE Declaration’s guidance and tools in encouraging enterprises to contribute on social policy and provide workplaces that are “inclusive, responsible and sustainable.” Our main takeaway:
a. The significant role of MNEs in developing and improving the skills of workers in host countries
b. Hence, there is a need to facilitate technology and knowledge transfer from home countries to host countries
c. The role of MNEs in promoting compliance with ILS among domestic supply chains and the
d. Opportunities for worker-representatives in host countries to engage in dialogue with MNEs aimed at peaceful resolution of labor disputes.
6. We also take note that realizing CSR and decent work requires the full commitment not only of the multinationals but as well as the labor sector and the Philippine Government.
7. As a member-state of the ILO, we are duty-bound to operationalize the MNE Declaration. We did take a milestone when we enacted the Tripartism Law through RA 10395. The challenge now is how to make it more pro-active and rigorous in its policy recommendations when by the day, millions of workers are either losing jobs, income or are engaged in insecure work.
8. Through this Committee, I sponsored HB No. 1382, calling on Congress to investigate the alleged non-compliance of the Philippine Government to some 27 international conventions on labor and human rights. The EU Parliament has passed a resolution urging the EU to revoke the tariff-free privilege of the Philippine Government. Right now, we are not in the best of health to lose more jobs. HB 1382 is still pending the Committee on Rules, for their appropriate referral to this Committee.
9. Finally, labor victories from many years of struggle faced policy reverses as both government and employers were forced to confront the “NEW NORMAL.” But labor rights and inclusive social policy is not suspended even during a pandemic neither an economic crisis. Workers and their families continue to strive to stay afloat.
10. With full commitment from each sector (Government, labor and business), we ardently hope and pray that we are able to build back better, and create a better and safer workplaces for all.
Thank you and Mabuhay!
2. We also wish to thank the House Committee on Labor and Employment under the leadership of Chairperson Enrico Pineda, for accommodating this event by the ILO and the TUCP. Our understanding and appreciation of the principles and concepts of the MNE Declaration, Corporate Social Responsibility and decent work have been made critical especially now at the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.
3. We know that in the face of a pandemic, businesses went under. We now have an unprecedented unemployment and underemployment rates, drastic fall in working hours, hundreds of thousands of our migrant workers left high and dry, and millions of Filipino workers and their families are falling through the cracks of poverty. The massive retrenchments, low wages and spiralling costs of basic commodities are forcing them to engage in precarious work – not to mention the wobbly implementation of occupational safety and health.
4. The Philippine Government’s immediate response was to provide wage subsidies to displaced workers and low-income households and financial support for small businesses. But that was not enough. Labor groups and trade unions have called on the government for an inclusive economic recovery that will help save jobs and the lives of our workers and their
families. The TUCP has put forward a labor agenda that calls on government to deploy a massive jobs generation program, simply because the private sector could not do it alone.
5. From Ms. Roelans’ presentation, we take note of the MNE Declaration’s guidance and tools in encouraging enterprises to contribute on social policy and provide workplaces that are “inclusive, responsible and sustainable.” Our main takeaway:
a. The significant role of MNEs in developing and improving the skills of workers in host countries
b. Hence, there is a need to facilitate technology and knowledge transfer from home countries to host countries
c. The role of MNEs in promoting compliance with ILS among domestic supply chains and the
d. Opportunities for worker-representatives in host countries to engage in dialogue with MNEs aimed at peaceful resolution of labor disputes.
6. We also take note that realizing CSR and decent work requires the full commitment not only of the multinationals but as well as the labor sector and the Philippine Government.
7. As a member-state of the ILO, we are duty-bound to operationalize the MNE Declaration. We did take a milestone when we enacted the Tripartism Law through RA 10395. The challenge now is how to make it more pro-active and rigorous in its policy recommendations when by the day, millions of workers are either losing jobs, income or are engaged in insecure work.
8. Through this Committee, I sponsored HB No. 1382, calling on Congress to investigate the alleged non-compliance of the Philippine Government to some 27 international conventions on labor and human rights. The EU Parliament has passed a resolution urging the EU to revoke the tariff-free privilege of the Philippine Government. Right now, we are not in the best of health to lose more jobs. HB 1382 is still pending the Committee on Rules, for their appropriate referral to this Committee.
9. Finally, labor victories from many years of struggle faced policy reverses as both government and employers were forced to confront the “NEW NORMAL.” But labor rights and inclusive social policy is not suspended even during a pandemic neither an economic crisis. Workers and their families continue to strive to stay afloat.
10. With full commitment from each sector (Government, labor and business), we ardently hope and pray that we are able to build back better, and create a better and safer workplaces for all.
Thank you and Mabuhay!