Now that the Philippines has ratified Labor Inspection Convention No. 81 of the International Labor Organization (ILO), House labor and employment committee chair Fidel Nograles urged the government to work on its capability to ensure safer working conditions and rights protection for Filipinos.
“We must work so that the Labor Inspection Convention No. 81 is not a mere piece of paper, but one that the government can actually enforce for the welfare of Filipinos,” the representative of the 4th district of Rizal said.
Earlier this month, a Philippine delegation presented the ratification instrument of Labor Inspection Convention No. 81 to ILO Director-General Gilbert Houngbo at the ILO Headquarters in Geneva.
Nograles said that besides enforcement of labor laws, an effective labor inspection system also serves as a partner of companies to correct and develop better workplace practices.
The convention sets up global standards for a comprehensive labor inspection framework.
Nograles highlighted the need for the Department of Labor and Employment to increase its efforts to improve labor inspection services.
This should be encapsulated in a comprehensive compliance strategy aimed at ensuring decent working conditions and a safe working environment, he also said.
“We also need to make our labor inspectors more capable of doing their crucial job through constant training and by providing necessary equipment,” the lawmaker added.
Nograles said that having highly capable personnel is vital considering the crucial role that labor inspection plays in creating a better working environment throughout the whole country.
He said that besides enforcement of labor laws, an effective labor inspection system also serves as a partner of companies to correct and develop better workplace practices.
“Our labor inspectors are not only enforcers, but also advisers providing guidance and technical expertise to organizations so that they may root out malpractices and other abusive conditions,” Nograles said.
