Gabriela welcomes bicam approval of Occupational Safety Health bill

Gabriela Women’s party welcomed the bicameral level approval of the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) bill on Monday, calling it an “historic advance” in workers’ rights.

The party-list had actively lobbied for the passage of the bill and campaigned together with workers’ organizations.

A bicameral conference committee (bicam) has approved a bill strengthening compliance with occupational safety and health standards (OSHS) that seeks to amend the 41-year old Labor Code of the Philippines which, at present, does not declare unlawful violations of OSHS.

In a statement, Gabriela Rep. Arlene Brosas, one of the authors of the measure, said it commends the workers who have actively campaigned for the passage of the landmark legislation.

“We laud workers who have actively campaigned for this important legislation, as well as families of victims who tirelessly pressed the House labor committee to take the lead in fast-tracking the measure,” Brosas said.

The militant lawmaker said the bicameral version covers all establishments and workplaces, including firms in special economic zones (SEZs).

READ: Senate approves occupational safety bill

“Companies inside economic zones can no longer refuse spot inspections regarding OSH standards compliance or when accidents take place,” said Brosas.

The bill also allows workers to skip work with pay based on the assessment of an “imminent danger” in the workplace, she added.

The lawmaker, however, noted that the section on penalties only contains administrative fines of up to P100,000 for each day that the violation is not corrected, leaving out criminal sanctions for employers.

But Brosas said this is already an improvement from the current range of P1,000 to P10,000 administrative fines.

“This means that the campaign for criminalization of violations will continue. We will definitely file a new bill supplementing the OSH bill once it is signed into law,” Brosas said.

Gabriela, together with Makabayan bloc opposition lawmakers, first filed the measure in 2014 during the 16th Congress following waves of workplace mishaps, including the Eton Residences tragedy in Makati City and the deaths at the Hanjin shipyard in Subic, Zambales.

READ: 2 workers killed in separate accidents in Hanjin shipyard

Brosas specifically thanked the Safe Workplaces Network, Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) and the Institute for Occupational Health and Safety for Development (IOHSAD) for their efforts in pushing for the OSH bill.

Senator Joel Villanueva, chair of the Senate committee on labor, said he hopes the bill will be ratified by both chambers before the last day of session on May 30. /ee