DOLE sets up 24/7 hotline on global financial crisis

MANILA, Philippines — Workers who stand to lose their jobs due to the global economic meltdown can now call the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) for help at (632)527-4437.

Labor Secretary Marianito Roque said the hotline will be available 24 hours a day, 7seven days a week to assist Filipino workers at home and abroad.

“The vital hotline is for the purpose of responding to all pertinent queries from all sectors on available assistance to affected workers, along with ongoing interventions under the supervision of the DOLE’s Global Financial Crisis (GFC) Task Force, to assist the workers affected by the global financial crisis,” Roque said in an article posted at the DOLE Web site (www.dole.gov.ph).

Earlier, Roque led the country’s social partners including labor, management, government, and global organizations such as the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to assist workers.

He convened the Multi-Sectoral Action Conference and Workshop on the Global Financial Crisis on the theme, “Responding to the Employment Challenge,” in Makati.

At the meeting, Roque said the DOLE has allotted P402.852 million to assist the workers displaced by the crisis, which has so far affected some 33,000 workers.

These workers are beginning to experience shorter working hours in affected industries, along with some 40,000 others who have been displaced, along with some 5,404 OFWs who have been displaced.

Despite this, Roque said that in 2008, the country’s labor market has remained resilient, with nationwide employment expanding by 1.6 percent or a net addition of 530,000 employed persons in the labor force mainly in the services, and agriculture, fishery and forestry sectors.

He insisted this offset the hard-hit industry sector which contracted by -1.5 percent.

Also, he reiterated the global deployment of OFWs surged to a record 1.376 million in 2008

Roque strongly urged the 3+ Social Partners to work together as one in standing up to the global financial crisis.

He said that together, they must work to assist affected workers, adding that the opportunities must also be identified as they arrive at the necessary commitments and timelines.

To date, DOLE has successfully assisted a total of 4,460 workers as follows: 613 provided with emergency employment assistance, 965 with job referrals, 1,007 with legal assistance on their money claims, 422 with skills training, and 1,453 with livelihood assistance/seed capitalization. – GMANews.TV