In a statement, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said: “Government is firmly determined to intensify inspection of factories to ensure strict compliance with occupational safety and health standards and prevent a repetition of the Kentex fire and similar disasters that pose grave danger to the safety and lives of Filipino workers.”
Coloma said they were informed by Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz that Kentex has been compliant with occupational safety requirements as of September 2014.
“According to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Kentex is a unionized company, with an existing safety committee, and that its workers are entitled to government mandated social security and workmen’s compensation benefits,” Malacanang said.
Nonetheless, the DOLE is already coordinating with the Bureau of Fire Protection in assessing safety violations so that proper accountability is established, Coloma said.
Coloma said DOLE has already hired additional labor inspectors as part of its intensified campaign on companies’ compliance to labor law standards.
“As a result, a total of 76,880 companies were inspected in 2014, compared to the average of 23,400 companies inspected during the previous decade. Of those inspected, a total of 8,974 companies were found to have either closed or could not be located in the recorded address; 67,906 underwent occupational health and safety (OSH) investigation,” Coloma said.
He said 44,041 companies were found to be compliant of labor law standards, while 23,865 were ordered to take corrective action. Since then, 7,528 companies have already complied.
This brings the number of compliant companies to 76%.
source: www.abs-cbnnews.com
