FIVE more Cebu-based business process outsourcing (BPO) companies have been added to the Department of Labor and Employment’s (Dole) list of establishments to be investigated for possible violations of the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Law.
BPO Industry Employees Network (BIEN)-Cebu Spokesperson John Kyle Enero said on Wednesday that the group has now identified a total of 28 BPO companies that may have violated safety standards and labor rights during and after the 6.9 magnitude earthquake that struck Cebu on September 30.
‘Our initial announcement to the public was that 10 BPO companies were potentially liable for violating OSH standards and labor rights. On October 6, that number rose to 23, and as of now, our total count is 28,’ Enero said during a Senate hearing.
‘We have a copy of the list of companies with potential violations of OSH standards. We want these firms to be included on Dole’s list for investigation during inspections.’
The updated list will be forwarded to DOLE for formal investigation in its upcoming inspections.
Last week, a group of BPO employees flagged 10 BPO firms for violating safety protocols after several agents were reportedly forced to report for duty during the earthquake.
According to the group, emergency exits of their working floors were blocked, preventing them from leaving the building. Retaliatory actions, including sanctions, loss of incentives and explanation notices were supposedly issued to employees who refuse to work.
On October 6, DOLE issued suspended the operations of a BPO company, until it has addressed the unsafe conditions and labor violations that pose danger to its workers. The order was lifted on Thursday after the company complied with the agency’s requirements.
‘We observed many issues during our inspections of some BPOs. For instance, their emergency lighting systems were not working. That’s a major concern during emergencies, especially since we know BPOs operate at night,’ Dole-7 Regional Director Roy Buenafe said.
According to Buenafe, the agency has so far completed the inspection of two of the six BPO companies that are under DOLE’s initial list for allegedly violating OSH protocols. He added that all six cases were expected to be processed by the end of the day, noting that some firms had yet to comply with the orders.
Sen. Raffy Tulfo instructed the labor department to discuss with other government agencies the filing of an illegal detention case against the BPO companies who prevented workers from using their building’s emergency exits.
‘Coordinate with other law enforcement agencies or other government agencies na pwedeng magfile ng kaso. Illegal detention, I want it filed,’ Tulfo said.