Poor compliance with wage rates

More than half of commercial establishments nationwide have not been complying with the minimum wage law and other general labor standards, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said yesterday.

Data from DOLE showed 56 percent of firms inspected in the first half of the year were found violating labor standards.

Of the 8,532 companies inspected by DOLE between January and June, 4,788 were not complying with labor regulations.

Based on the same figures from the Bureau of Employment Statistics, about 20 percent of inspected firms were not paying their workers the minimum wage.

However, DOLE officials said the data are not very accurate.

"Since establishments were pre-classified as prone to violations, naturally we would record a high non-compliance rate," a labor official said.

The DOLE is correcting the violations, and that more than 22,000 workers have benefited from the government action for the past six months, the official added.

Many employers wait after labor inspections before they would comply with new wage orders of regional wage boards, the DOLE said.

Under an agreement, local government officials can assist labor inspectors to ensure that commercial establishments comply with labor standards and the minimum wage law. — Mayen Jaymalin