Bello issues requirements for participants of assessment team

FILE – Members of the labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno stage a protest at the Department of Labor and Employment office in Manila to reiterate calls ending all forms of contractual employment in the country. —MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello on Sunday said he has issued an administrative order setting the qualifications and requirements for workers who want to be part of the labor department’s assessment team for labor laws compliance.

“We are deputizing members of labor groups to help us in the inspection of more than 90,000 establishments to ensure their compliance with labor standards and existing labor laws. Deputizing labor is one of our strategies to fast track strict implementation of DO 174,” Bello said in a statement.

Administrative Order No. 164 provides that only qualified members of legitimate labor organizations, labor associations, chartered locals, national labor federations, accredited professional organizations, nongovernment organizations and employer’s organization may participate in the labor law compliance assessment activities, including attendance to mandatory conferences.

According to the order, qualified members must be at least 18 years old at the time of the issuance of the authority to assess; completed at least high school education; have no pending criminal, civil or administrative cases; a member of good standing-participating organization for at least two years; and have completed and passed the training requirements of the DOLE.

The participating members should submit proof of compliance with the requirements to the DOLE regional office where they intend to take part in the assessment activities.

“Participants who satisfy our requirements shall attend training programs. We know that labor groups already have the knowledge on the labor standards but they need additional training from DOLE before they are deputized,” Bello said.

The labor secretary also said that the authority to assess will be issued only to the participants who successfully completed and passed the training program of DOLE.

Qualified members from labor groups may attend the mandatory conferences of establishments they have assessed, which will only be conducted by DOLE Labor Law Compliance Officers. (LLCOs)

In addition, the said authority to assess will be valid until the end of the year and may be revoked if a threat or coercion of workers, or any other ground prejudicial to public service were found by DOLE.

The deputized inspectors will be supervised by LLCOs and function on a voluntary basis, thus will not be paid for their services.