During the Senate’s recess, Senator Raffy Tulfo took the opportunity to conduct random inspection of construction sites, garments, canning and candy factories.
Tulfo did this as Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Labor and Employment.
It can be recalled that the usual number of complaints being received by his office are from laborers regarding abuse and maltreatment of their employers particularly concerning wages and benefits.
The legislator initially visited a construction site in Quezon City because construction workers pose the highest number of complaints in the program.
“Despite working for many years with the company, they continue to receive below minimum wage and have yet to receive a single centavo of their 13th month pay.”
As he set foot at the construction site, the lawmaker was enraged when he personally heard from the laborers that despite working for many years with the company, they continue to receive below minimum wage and have yet to receive a single centavo of their 13th month pay.
Adding insult to injury, even the security guards stationed at their site are just receiving half of the set minimum wage in the National Capital Region.
On top of these are the inhumane state of the workers’ living quarters that even officials from DOLE, Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and Quezon City Engineering Office were appalled and took pity on the detrimental situation of the laborers.
“The lack of proper safety gears and the outdated mechanical equipment could pose serious life-threatening scenarios.”
The senator also noticed the workers’ lack of proper safety gears and the outdated mechanical equipment they use aren’t even assured if it underwent proper service maintenance which he emphasized could pose serious life-threatening scenarios to those who will operate them.
The Quezon City Engineering Office swiftly warned the Project Engineer of the said construction site and said that if they do not impose reforms and treat their workers properly, their construction permit will be immediately cancelled prompting all their operation to be put on hold.
The Bureau of Fire Protection also cited fire safety protocol violations at the construction site that could lead to serious problems and put the lives of the workers in grave danger.
In the end, Tulfo assured the underpaid construction workers that they will receive their 13th month pay and all the differences from the wages they haven’t been paid as backpay.
The workers rejoiced and were grateful to him.
