More than 1,000 women in WV underpaid–DOLE

A total of 1,085 or 34 percent of women workers from 204 establishments in Western Visayas inspected under the Project LEAP or Labor Enforcement and Assistance Program are receiving below the minimum wage, according to the Department of Labor and Employment 6.

Regional Director Manuel Roldan said results of Project LEAP show that of the 1,115 inspectionable establishments inspected in the region, 306 were found with violations on core labor standards on minimum wage, 13th month pay, regular and special holidays pay, sick leave pay, night shift differential and overtime pay, involving 1,832 women workers.

Most of the noted violations were on the existing minimum wage (204); regular and special holidays pay (210); and service incentive leave (108).

Also, 363 establishments employing 2,210 women workers do not provide social welfare benefits to their workers such as Social Security System (96); Home Development Mutual Fund or Pag-IBIG (177); and Philippine Health Insurance Corp. or PhilHealth (90).

Roldan said he will issue a compliance order to these establishments after due hearing.

He also directed the team of inspectors, now covering towns in Iloilo, to speed up their inspection activities to cover as many establishments as possible and help workers recover their back wages and other monetary benefits.

He appealed to the management to pay their workers the correct wages and other benefits to avoid litigation.

Roldan also reminded them to implement Wage Order No. 18 which took effect on August 12 this year.

“I appeal to all employers to pay their workers the correct wages and other monetary benefits,” he said. “We are determined to go after erring employers in order to help our workers recover what is due to them.”

The DOLE is currently implementing the Project LEAP aimed to intensify the labor standards enforcement via a zonal approach to increase inspection among inspectionable establishments.*