‘Big brother’ role for shipbuilder

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT—A best practice program in safety and health measures is now being implemented by Korean shipbuilder Hanjin, its subcontractors and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to ensure safety of workers in Hanjin’s shipyard here.

In a memorandum of understanding signed on Friday by Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz and Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Phils Inc. (HHIC-Philippines) president Ahn Jin Kyu, the Korean shipbuilder said it was taking on the role of “big brother” to its subcontrators who employ thousands here.

The memorandum was signed in line with DOLE’s program of pursuing a “culture of compliance by the business sector with labor standards and of occupational health and safety standards, which is very crucial in maintaining high productivity and quality at the workplace,” a joint statement by the department and Hanjin said.

In her speech, Baldoz underscored the importance of the memorandum as part of the government’s continuing effort to promote and ensure compliance with existing labor laws, rules and regulations. Robert Gonzaga, Inquirer Central Luzon