TUCP urge President-elect to put up a national employment coordinating body to address high unemployment

As the smoke from the just concluded elections is expected to settle down, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) today urged President-elect Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to place in her priorities the establishment of a high level body that shall address the country’s growing number of unemployed.

TUCP said that the creation of the body shall draw up a battle-plan to fight the country’s growing unemployment which now stands at 13.7% equivalent to some five million workers.

The TUCP also called on members of the opposition and other sectors of society to accept the results of the elections and rally behind the President in an all-out attempt to push the country towards economic development. “It’s time for everybody to move on and to stabilize the country’s political life. We should put the interest of the country at heart and refrain from actions that will only bring our country nowhere”, TUCP said.

The TUCP suggested that the President establish a National Employment Board (NEB) which shall assess the country’s employment generation programs and match it to the needs and capabilities of the country.

The NEB shall also coordinate and monitor government policies to ensure that local industries and jobs are protected from unfair competition particularly from foreign markets and competitors.

The body proposed by TUCP shall be composed of captains of business, representatives of small-and-medium enterprises (SMEs), foreign chambers of commerce, members of the academe, noted economists, and representatives of the labor sector, and the heads of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE).

“The idea here is to bring policy-makers and stakeholders together and discuss ways to facilitate a better environment for business, motivate the labor sector, protect jobs, and increase productivity”, TUCP said.

The TUCP adds that the NEB shall also submit recommendations to Congress which is expected to introduce amendments to the Labor Code.