WORLD DAY FOR DECENT WORK TUCP CALLS FOR DECENT WORK, DECENT LIFE For Immediate Release 07 October 2009 TUCP leaders engaged DOLE Secretary Marianito Roque and PEZA Director General Lilia de Lima in separate meetings for a dialogue and hand-over of the World Day for Decent Work’s Call to Action for Decent Work, Decent Life!…

rendered idle and put to waste because of neglect following the transfer of flood control from the public works department to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA). The idle equipment could have mitigated the deluge brought about by tropical storm Ondoy in Metro Manila.

It has been reported that a woman who never worked with asbestos in her life died from the asbestos cancer, mesothelioma earlier this year. Linda Sinnett died from the cancer in July, and her widower John said that it came as a terrible shock, particularly since his wife had never worked with asbestos.

Brussels, 6 October 2009 (ITUC Online): “While some commentators see green shoots of recovery, the crisis is far from over and the global stimulus packages supporting economic turnaround will not be sufficient to keep joblessness from growing at a steady pace,” said ITUC General Secretary Guy Ryder, commenting on a new ITUC publication The Path…

Researching a recent column, I couldn’t help noting how anomalous the figures in the quarterly Labor Force Survey (LFS) appear to be, as are some of the categories. An example of the latter is that “unpaid family workers”0 are counted as employed. (This is, it should be noted, also the case in other countries.) There…

Speaker Prospero Nograles yesterday hit at militant party-list lawmakers who have been criticizing the government for its alleged slow action to help the victims of Tropical Storm “Ondoy” and Typhoon “Pepeng,” saying they should stop blaming the administration and instead help out in the efforts to provide relief to those affected by the calamity.

The Philippines has again fallen in ranking from the list of a United Nations Human Development Index (UN-HDi). The country fell below most of its Asian counterparts as it ranked 105 among 182 countries in the UN-HDi.

The immediate negative impact of tropical storm Ondoy on consumer and business confidence was hard to ignore, with all affected regions—including Metro Manila—accounting for more than 50 percent of the Philippine gross domestic product (GDP) and with recovery from the global crisis still quite weak, a New York-based think tank said in its latest market…

THE Philippines retained its 105th ranking among 182 countries in a development report released yesterday, placing it in the medium development bracket with a human development index of 0.751 based on 2007 data.

MANILA, Philippines—(UPDATE) Victims hardest hit by typhoon Ondoy who lost their income and livelihood will be given “short-term and emergency wage employment” of at least 15 days to help them rebuild their lives, Labor Secretary Marianito Roque said Tuesday.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer specific to women in the Philippines. In fact, the Philippines tops the list in Asia for the most number of breast cancer in women. According to the Philippine Cancer Society, an estimated 14,000 new breast cancer cases are diagnosed each year and nearly 6,300 deaths are expected from…

The International Monetary Fund has taken on an enhanced global role to promote lasting economic recovery in the world, with its 186 member nations pledging to keep stimulus support of growth in place.

MANILA, Philippines – The Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS) has revised upward its 2009 economic growth forecast for the Philippines on the back of higher dollar remittances from overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and a widening fiscal deficit which is expected to fuel economic activities in the remaining part of 2009.

(Third of three parts) Advance pricing arrangements (APAs) The draft RR makes reference to APAs, which may be unilateral, bilateral, or multilateral. It states that an APA shall formally be initiated by the taxpayer.

MANILA, Philippines – The Metrobank Group and the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) are expecting a 3.5-percent increase in remittances this year despite the global economic slowdown.

MANILA, Philippines – Members of the Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) are set to mount a rally in the next few days to pressure the government into extending immediate financial assistance, not loans, to typhoon-affected workers.

MANILA, Philippines – At least 5,000 workers face unemployment after typhoon “Ondoy” forced several factories in Metro Manila and nearby provinces to close down, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) reported yesterday.

MANILA, Philippines – The teachers’ group Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) said despite the worldwide celebration of World Teachers’ Day yesterday, teachers, especially those in public schools, are still not being fully appreciated because of their inadequate salary and benefits.

MANILA, Philippines – Business groups have expressed alarm over Malacañang’s plan to extend its declaration of a state of calamity for at least a year, with one calling it “an overkill.” The groups said the plan, if carried out, would spawn more problems like job losses and supply shortage.

MANILA, Philippines – Price controls may remain until 2010 and government is expected to have a firmer hand in rebuilding areas ravaged by “Ondoy” and “Pepeng” as Malacañang considers extending its declaration of a nationwide state of calamity for at least one year.

A majority of U.S. workplaces block access to social-networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, new survey results commissioned by consulting firm Robert Half Technology indicate. Fifty-four percent block social networks “completely,” while another 19 percent only permit it “for business purposes.”

QUEZON, Philippines, 25 April 2005 – While the world’s attention has been focused on the Indian Ocean tsunami, tens of thousands in the Philippines have been dealing with the aftermath of another natural disaster that has gone largely unnoticed. In December 2004 three typhoons hit the South Eastern province of Quezon, killing more than 2,000…

Paris (AFP): Governments worldwide should look at changes to their immigration policies with a view to offering a “new deal” to migrant workers whose skills can help spur economic recovery, said a United Nations (UN) report released on Monday.

THE Philippine economy may go through a ”slow recovery” in the third quarter, according to the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB), as its composite leading economic index (LEI) slid further into negative territory. Citing a moderate decline in its LEI, the agency said the indicator slipped to negative 0.425 in the third quarter from a…

At the end of its investigative visit, the high-level fact-finding mission of the International Labor Organization did not accuse the Arroyo Administration of doing what militant labor and political groups have been claiming. The ILO probers did not say in the statement they issued on Thursday that they had found the government to have grossly…

German President Horst Koehler has voiced concern that current efforts to reform world financial systems do not go far enough. He says that trade unions need to get involved.

“Presidentiables” made news doling relief goods plastered with their names and photos. The self-publicity was cheap. They used Storm Ondoy’s floods to make victims owe them debts of gratitude for “kindness”, translatable into votes. Observers had to advise that the hungry accept the aid but reject the abusers. Some called for filing of electioneering charges.…

Initially, I didn’t know where Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Peter Favila was coming from when he griped against media reportage on the post-typhoon Ondoy situation. An impassioned Favila could not hide his irritation when he took a swing at media while briefing President Arroyo and other Cabinet members during the National Disaster Coordinating…

MANILA, Philippines – President Arroyo has ordered the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) and the Social Security System (SSS) to speed up the processing and release of loan applications of their distressed members.

The Conservative party is the only political party that can be trusted to defend the asbestos industry, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said in Quebec’s asbestos mining region at the end of July.