DOLE’s Proposed Budget Virtually Approved by Congress

DoLE’s inability to safeguard workers’ rights and ensure welfare overlooked 

The Kilusang Mayo Uno condemns the one-sided labor export market orientation of the DOLE budget hearing held yesterday at the HoR Committee on Appropriations.  Interpellations focused not on how DOLE should use its budget on its mandate to safeguard workers’ rights and welfare but on how to enhance  the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) on its mission to produce  “globally competitive “vocational/technical  graduates and be marketed mainly as OFWs. 

Elmer Labog, KMU Chairperson said, “We recognize Congressman Edcel Lagman’s manifestation of concern and call for investigation regarding “wayward labor policies” specifically the incompetence of DOLE to protect bank employees against “premeditated union-busting” or rampant practice of “rank-and-file outsourcing” .  We also acknowledge Congressman Ed Zialcita’s interpellation prompting NLRC’s admittance of lengthy arbitrary adjudication period to the detriment of distressed workers, debunking DOLE’s  alleged expeditious case resolutions.” 

Labog added,  “But aside from the aforesaid two manifestations, practically the whole  2 ½ hours interpellation period  was focused on how to make DOLE and TESDA , in the words of some Committee members , “number one dollar earning government agencies”. There were no discussions on how to stop union-bustings and summary killings of union leaders in DOLE’s “industrial peace”.  The Committee Chairman even disallowed labor federations like KMU, a stakeholder,  to be present in yesterday’s budget hearing. There were only two of us from KMU and yet we were barred from entering the conference room  and were it not for the personal intervention of a Party-list Congresswoman to the Chairman himself, we would not have entered and observed the budget hearing.” 

Committee members were even willing to increase DOLE and TESDA proposed budgets to make them “more aggressive in their labor export marketing and help solve the millions of local unemployment problem” . So much time was spent on the POEA repatriation and the Training for Work projects  of TESDA to produce skilled workers “and colonize the zero population growth countries”  that one Committee member aptly observed, “sana i-develop din ang local employment at huwag  puros padala” (we should also promote local employment and not totally depend on labor export remittances)”.   

“The DOLE family is ecstatic with its virtually approved budget for 2009, but the Filipino workers  face 2009 with growing dismay, alarm and outrage at the continuing deterioration of their jobs, lives, and human rights .  Our workers continue to suffer from low wages, high unemployment and job insecurity.  Their democratic rights to form unions and to strike are restricted. Unfortunately, the social and economic perspective obtaining in  the DOLE 2009 plans and budget is no source of relief,” concluded Labog.