Labor hits DOLE for turning its back on workers

BAGUIO CITY (January 18, 2022) – Labor group TUCP frowned at the Labor Advisory released by the labor department to govern paid isolation and quarantine leave as “lackadaisically crafted and unacceptable.”

The Labor Advisory is clearly insensitive to the situation of both workers and employers, the labor group said, adding, “DOLE opted to just “go through the motions”, never bothering to come up with incentives or tax credits for employers for them to accord the benefits of paid isolation and quarantine leave to their workers.”

TUCP claimed to have earlier proposed that the DOLE  explore options with the BIR, the DTI, or SSS, “but they never bothered to look into this.

The Labor Advisory only “urges” employers to provide paid isolation and quarantine leave, TUCP said, explaining further, “this provides only an illusory safety net for thousands of workers now isolating or going into quarantine.”

The TUCP said its proposal was for mandatory paid isolation and quarantine leave if required by existing health protocols and stop the practice of exhausting all earned leave credits of the workers which is intended for eventualities other than for isolation and quarantine.

TUCP also called for consideration of a tax credit scheme or consideration of other subsidy or incentive schemes for employers.

Workers have reached the extreme of exhausted leave credits due to repeated exposure to COVID19 while at work, and they have been made to isolate and quarantine without pay.

“Should the  worker and his or her entire family now be made to starve or should their income be placed on hold for the duration of the quarantine?”

The DOLE, rather than making sure that exposed workers gets a lifeline during these difficult times, seemingly walked away from their responsibility,  the labor group blurted out.

The labor group said it believes that Government assistance and handholding of workers and employers to cope with the ravages of the pandemic would redound to productivity and full reopening of the economy.

“The DOLE apparently chose not to be troubled by the predicament of its stakeholders, badly failing the workers and employers.”

Artemio A. Dumlao