DoLE launches ‘Oplan Sikyu’

In response to the mounting complaints of security guards against their employers for violating labor laws, the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) launched “Oplan Sikyu.”

Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said the “Oplan Sikyu” is a fresh approach in dealing with labor complaints of security guards against security agencies, saying it is a novel approach in responding to the perennial wage and other general labor standards problems of security guards.

She said Oplan Sikyu is also aimed at increasing voluntary compliance rate of security agencies with general labor standards to provide social welfare and protection to security guards.

“Our goal is to trim down at least 30 percent of the labor cases filed by security guards at DoLE and NLRC,” Baldoz said, adding the Oplan Sikyu is also a tool in professionalizing the security services industry.

DoLE has reported that 90 percent of cases filed at its office and at the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) in Region V involves security guards and their agencies.

Under “Oplan Sikyu” DoLE will implement a “standardized wage ceiling” which will be used as the baseline and lowest possible rate in any security services bidding, be it a government or a non-government client.

It also intends to address the long-time issue of cut-throat competition among security agencies by giving the “lowest bid” to a client which is being pinpointed as the root cause of underpayment of wages and the commission of other labor violations by the agency to the security guards.

It will also draft a Suggested Minimum Bid Contract that must be adhered upon by security agencies and principal, and improve its “No pending Case Clearance Certificate” to include Social Security System and Pag-IBIG Fund as signatories. –Mina Diaz, Daily Tribune