Effective labor diplomacy to bring better packages for OFWs, Jinggoy says

With mounting issues and challenges facing overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), the government should, as part of its foreign relations policy, actively promote and advance the workers’ rights abroad.

Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada, chair of the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development, stressed this strategy in light of global economic crunch that is now causing the displacement of many OFWs. He branded this strategy as “labor diplomacy.”

“The perennial issues of maltreatment by employers, low wages, the continuously intensifying labor competition due to globalization, and now, the large-scale displacement of workers due to the global financial crisis and the recession in a number of highly-industrialized countries — these all pose great issues and challenges to the country’s overseas workers, as well as to our government,” Estrada said.

Estrada also noted that “in many instances, the government and even the workers themselves tend to somewhat sacrifice some labor rights just to be able to grab employment opportunities.” He said this should never be the case.

Estrada said the government should implement an effective labor diplomacy in OFW-destination countries to ensure respect for the Filipino workers’ rights and to negotiate for better non-wage benefit packages, work conditions and tenure guarantees for them.

“We should ensure that foreign-based employers respect our workers’ rights, not just the economic, pertaining to their just compensation and monetary benefits, but also their social and political rights including their right to participate in lawful community activities and associations and in our country’s elections.” Estrada said.

“Our workers should also be provided humane work conditions, fundamental non-wage benefit packages including health and insurance, and guarantees against abrupt and illegal work contract termination,” he added.

Estrada said the government could accomplish these goals by carrying out a comprehensive Labor Diplomacy Development program involving the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), including labor attachés and other officials posted abroad.

Such program, he said, should include: (1) Continuous update of a database of labor issues and labor opportunities abroad; (2) Labor Diplomacy trainings for government workers; (3) enhanced Labor Diplomacy studies in school curricula; (4) setting up of Labor Diplomacy desk and hotlines within the DoLE and DFA; (5) information campaign on worker’s rights and welfare; (6) citation-and-merit system for foreign employers meeting satisfactory degrees of labor standards; and (7) continuing participation of volunteer organizations in advancing labor diplomacy.

Estrada said the effectiveness of this program would be reflected in labor agreements between the Philippines and OFW-host countries. –Daily Tribune