By: Ben O. de Vera – @inquirerdotnet, Philippine Daily Inquirer / January 06, 2017 Pushing through with proposals to slap a two-year ban on farm land conversion as well as hiking the Social Security System’s (SSS) pension benefits without raising members’ contributions will “undermine” the economic growth momentum that the country currently enjoys, a high-ranking…

INQUIRER.net / January 06, 2017 One of the fears revolving around the development of artificial intelligence rises from the possibility that it may eventually replace humans as a workforce. This fear has now become a reality for a number of employees working for a Japanese company.

BY RIGOBERTO D. TIGLAO, Manila Times, JANUARY 6, 2017 SINCE the communist insurgency started in the 1950s led by a Soviet-influenced Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas, President Duterte is the first president to have appointed not only former communist leaders but probably even active communist cadres as members of his Cabinet and as lower-ranking officials.

By Mayen Jaymalin (The Philippine Star), January 6, 2017 MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) decided yesterday to defer the implementation of the new government policy on contractual employment.

(philstar.com), January 6, 2017 MANILA, Philippines — Charity and corporate social responsibility (CSR) are key issues for business people globally, a recent research from workspace provider Regus revealed.

By Prinz Magtulis (The Philippine Star), January 6, 2017 MANILA, Philippines – The Social Security System (SSS) wants a relaxation of investment restrictions to raise more funding for the agency amid a clamor for a pension hike. “It is so we can redirect our funds to better yielding assets,” SSS president and chief executive officer…

1.5.2017 (DOLE, Intramuros, Manila). TUCP President Ruben D. Torres –in a three-hour DOLE dialogue with organized labor –reiterated TUCP’s opposition against the pervasive and unchecked practice of contractualization.

by Lindsay Murdoch, 4 Jan 2017 Bangkok: A “human trafficking syndicate” has been hiring Filipino women to travel to Cambodia to carry surrogacy babies for foreigners, including Australians, Philippine authorities say.

By Sheila Crisostomo (The Philippine Star), January 3, 2017 MANILA, Philippines – Lack of available contraceptives would easily make the Philippine population balloon to over 106 million this year, the Commission on Population (PopCom) declared yesterday.

by Jess Shankleman and Chris Martin, Bloomberg, January 3, 2017 Solar power is now cheaper than coal in some parts of the world. In less than a decade, it’s likely to be the lowest-cost option almost everywhere.

By Steven Butler, The Daily Dose, January 3, 2017 Because the world economy is in the doldrums and could use some help. The train pulls out of the station as I lean on the throttle — a mile of freight cars in tow — accelerating to over 80 mph. Catching sight of some curves and…

Nyshka Chandran | @nyshkac, 3 Jan 2017, CNBC.com When it comes to Asia’s growth outlook, the south still reigns supreme. India, Indonesia and Thailand are seen as the region’s best performers of 2017 thanks to healthy fundamentals, economists told CNBC.

By Richmond Mercurio (The Philippine Star), January 2, 2017 MANILA, Philippines – The European business community has two special wishes for President Duterte this New Year: that he address concerns on alleged extrajudicial killings and end his verbal assaults on the country’s international allies.

BY REY ELBO, Manila Times, JANUARY 2, 2017 WHICH Philippine employer should be awarded as the most evil to workers, at least for this year? In Japan, advertising giant Dentsu Inc. has been given the 2016 Black Company Award, a.k.a. the Most Evil Corporation of the Year. A group of journalists and rights activists gave…

By Mayen Jaymalin (The Philippine Star), December 29, 2016 MANILA, Philippines – The practice of “endo” or end-of-contract is officially no longer allowed. The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) yesterday issued a new regulation banning it and other “labor only” contracting practices.

By Janvic Mateo (The Philippine Star), December 29, 2016 The 2015 Paris climate change deal took effect with the Philippines’ ratification this year. But after meeting with the Cabinet, President Duterte finally gave in, as joining the deal means necessary funds for the country’s environmental management initiatives.

By Prinz Magtulis (The Philippine Star), December 29, 2016 MANILA, Philippines – A few days after the 2017 budget was signed into law, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez gave both an assurance and a warning on government revenue prospects for next year.

By: Ed Margareth Barahan – @inquirerdotnetINQUIRER.net, December 29, 2016 One person was confirmed dead in a fire at a metal fabricator warehouse in Don Jose Street in Cubao, Quezon City on Thursday.

Sunstar, December 28, 2016 AFTER outlawing subcontracting, the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) told contractors Wednesday that they are also being prohibited from letting go of their workers once a project with a principal ends.

By Danessa Rivera (The Philippine Star), December 27, 2016 MANILA, Philippines – Shockwaves were felt in the energy sector in 2016, from the change in leadership to various controversies. At the start of the year, solar players were scrambling to beat the March 15 deadline to qualify for the second round of feed-in tariff (FIT-2)…

An internal memo outlines plans to slash budgets by 30 percent at SEIU, the group behind the Fight for $15. by Josh Eidelson, Bloomberg, December 27, 2016 In a clear sign that labor unions are bracing for lean times under Donald Trump, the massive Service Employees International Union is planning for a 30 percent budget…

by PHILIP PERRY, December 27, 2016 The Trump campaign ran on bringing jobs back to American shores, although mechanization has been the biggest reason for manufacturing jobs’ disappearance. Similar losses have led to populist movements in several other countries. But instead of a pro-job growth future, economists across the board predict further losses as AI,…

By Heidi Turner, December 26, 2016 The phrase donning and doffing is used to describe situations where employees put on or take off special gear or clothing for their work, but donning and doffing lawsuits are part of a larger area of litigation known as unpaid wages litigation, where employees are not properly paid for…

As part of the 18-day campaign to end violence against women (VAW) in the Philippines, PMAP and TUCP signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on 23 November 2016 on joint work for programs against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) at the workplace.among other issues. Gender based violence at work Convention to stop gbv Pmap tucp mou article

A report reaching the PRO3 says the ship’s engine was being powered up when crew members heard an ‘irregular noise,’ followed by a burst of flames by Jun A. Malig, Rappler, December 15, 2016 PAMPANGA, Philippines – A ship captain and 17 crew members and apprentices were injured when an explosion occurred in the engine…

By Jessica Tana, December 14, 2016 Cheap labour, good personal security, and a stable government has long attracted foreign investment to Vietnam. However, the increasing minimum wage, capped working hours, and the looming death of the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) means Vietnam’s recent stellar economic growth may begin to wane unless some urgent changes are…

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By Richmond Mercurio (The Philippine Star), December 8, 2016 The Philippines targets to reach the $100-billion milestone next year under the original Philippine Export Development Plan (PEDP) 2015-2017, but successive setbacks in the country’s export growth behind sluggish global trade have prompted government and export group officials to scale down and push back targets. AP/Koji…

Gender-based violence at work – International Trade Union Confederation  

Dear sisters, Join the campaign for an International Labour Convention to STOP gender based violence in the world of work WHAT IS THE ISSUE? Gender-based violence is a fundamental violation of human rights. It is a manifestation of gender-based discrimination and of unequal power relations between men and women, which it also perpetuates. Gender-based violence…