Over 100,000 workers deprived of rightful wages

Over 100,000 workers nationwide are not being paid the proper wages and other mandated benefits, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) reported yesterday.

Data from the DOLE-Bureau of Working Conditions (BWC) showed that 119,967 workers were affected by the non-compliance of some employers to the minimum wage rates and other labor standards.

Brenda Villafuerte, BWC director, said of the 10,666 commercial establishments inspected from July to October, nearly half or 5,109 were found with violations.

Of the 5,109 commercial firms, 2,448 violated core labor standards, including the mandated minimum wage rates. More than 2,000 establishments are not providing workers with benefits such as Social Security Service (SSS), Pag-Ibig and PhilHealth.

Villafuerte said most of the employers that violate labor standards are based in Metro Manila and Central Visayas and most of the firms are engaged in services.

He said a majority of the violators were small and medium enterprises or those employing not more than 200 workers.

She also stressed that corrections were implemented immediately after the inspection by labor officials, resulting in the payment of back wages worth over P13 million to 4,887 workers.

Villafuerte said that more companies are now complying with the labor standards since the government intensified its inspection.

In the first half of the year, Villafuerte said the general labor standards compliance rate is already 57.7 percent and 86.8 percent on technical safety regulations.  – Mayen Jaymalin