The Department of Labor and Employment in Central Visayas (DOLE-7) expressed its solidarity with the Inter-Call Center Association of Workers (ICCAW) in advocating for the protection and welfare of workers in the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector.
Atty. Roy Lloren Buenafe, DOLE-7 director, said the agency fully supports ICCAW’s call to uphold workers’ rights and safety, as emphasized in its recent statement.
However, he appealed for understanding from ICCAW’s officers and members, stressing that sanctions against employers can only be imposed after both substantive and procedural due process are observed, in accordance with the rule of law.
Buenafe also acknowledged ICCAW’s proposal to strengthen compliance with Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) standards, emphasizing that all workplaces are legally required to maintain a duly approved OSH Program that includes protocols for natural calamities such as earthquakes and typhoons.
He encouraged ICCAW to provide DOLE-7 with a list of companies allegedly violating labor laws and to collaborate with the labor department in building networks that promote workplace safety, tripartism, and industrial peace across the BPO industry in Central Visayas.
The DOLE-7, likewise, commended ICCAW’s proactive initiatives in promoting inclusion, collaboration, and justice among BPO workers.
‘They have set a good example by looking not only after their own welfare but also that of workers who may not have a strong voice in the world of work,’ Buenafe said.
The regional labor office reaffirmed its willingness to meet and work with ICCAW on future initiatives aimed at further protecting and advancing BPO workers’ rights.
Earlier, ICCAW had called on DOLE to impose penalties on BPO companies at Cebu IT Park and Cebu Business Park that allegedly put employees’ lives at risk during the September 30 earthquake.
ICCAW spokesperson Gilbert Romo urged the labor department to enforce the ?100,000 maximum fine provided under Republic Act No. 11058, or the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Law, to deter similar violations in the future.
Romo said some employers did not allow their employees to leave their workplaces during the earthquake, while others required them to return to work hours later despite the risk of aftershocks.
‘Call centers put profit above people’s lives and safety. This is unacceptable. We call on DOLE for urgent action on this blatant violation of the OSH Law,’ Romo said, adding that some employees resigned on the spot out of fear for their lives.
He also appealed to fellow BPO workers to come forward with testimonies of unsafe management practices during the quake.
Romo said BPO workers are not immortal, they are humans. He said these companies prioritized smooth operations over employee welfare. He added that working the graveyard shift is already a health risk, but keeping employees at work during an earthquake is too much.
‘Hanapbuhay ang kailangan naming manggagawa, hindi hanappatay,’ Romo said.
ICCAW further demanded the immediate formation of safety committees in all BPO companies, with worker representatives elected as mandated under the OSH Law.
‘Workers must have voice and participation in the workplace, especially with regard to safety and health concerns,’ he added.
Founded in 2013 in Cebu, ICCAW is an industry-wide organization of BPO employees established in solidarity with workers of a call center that abruptly shut down. The group now has members in various companies across the Cebu IT Park.
In 2014, ICCAW launched an 8-point agenda for pro-labor reforms in the BPO industry, including tax breaks, bond to indemnify workers in case of closure, quick reaction teams in case of sudden shutdown, hospitalization insurance, above minimum salary, regular labor inspections, elected workers’ representatives in a grievance machinery, and regularization of employees.