Rappler's latest stories on labor
PH to fly back remaining deceased OFWs from Saudi Arabia on July 20
The repatriation of the bodies of overseas Filipino workers from Saudi Arabia is moved by a week
'Trapped' illegal workers in Saudi look to virus for escape
The problem is rooted in the 'kafala' sponsorship system, described by critics as a modern form of slavery that binds workers to their Saudi employers
Shares of British retailer Boohoo slump over 'sweatshop' claims
Boohoo's image takes a battering amid allegations that textile workers – many of them from minority ethnic groups – were pressured into working despite the coronavirus crisis
PH misses July 4 target to bring home deceased OFWs from Saudi Arabia
Without specifying a new date, the Department of Labor and Employment says they will bring home the bodies 'early next week' or the week of July 5
U.S. seizes Chinese products made from human hair in forced labor crackdown
US Customs and Border Protection orders that the company's goods be held on grounds it uses prison and forced labor, including from children
Bello dismisses reports of OFWs scavenging for food
The labor secretary insists the OFWs in Saudi Arabia sorted for themselves food rejected by groceries, not actual garbage
PH again lands on global top 10 worst countries for workers
'In the Philippines, union members are particularly at risk of violence, intimidation and murder,' says the International Trade union Confederation
Meet Joseph Dante, Manila's street barber
Who is Joseph Dante, known on social media as Manila's street barber?
[ANALYSIS] The alarming jobs report Duterte is ignoring
'Bringing back some jobs will also hinge on the government’s ability — nay, willingness — to implement mass or widespread testing'
[OPINION] Women's work and the coronavirus: Caring for care workers
'By default, women are more likely to be in poorly paid jobs at the lowest ends of value chains without a chance at education or building skills. With a looming global depression, they are likely to be the first fired and last re-hired.'
Nearly 100,000 OFWs stranded worldwide due to virus lockdowns
Most of the stranded Filipino workers are in the Middle East, says the Department of Labor and Employment on Sunday, May 31
Labor groups urge government to hire PUVs during quarantine
Labor groups also report that workers are getting pay cuts of as much as 25% during quarantine
[PODCAST] Pagdurusa ng manggagawang Pilipino sa gitna ng pandemya
Programa ng gobyerno para sa mawawalan ng trabaho dahil sa pandemya, sapat ba?
House panel eyes additional P5-billion aid for OFWs
Labor officials estimate that some 500,000 overseas Filipino workers may be out of work by the end of August
DOLE sees 5 million jobs losses due to pandemic
Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III agrees that unemployment due to the pandemic could even rise to 10 million
To 'prevent' layoffs, DOLE allows employers to negotiate wage cuts
The government also passes the burden of coronavirus testing to employers
Labor group urges lifting of public transport ban during modified ECQ
'Companies should provide transportation to workers, but public transportation is really key to enable workers traverse major thoroughfares of Metro Manila,' says Kilusang Mayo Uno
[OPINION] OFWs and immigrants as milking cows
'The disabled Philippine economy largely depends upon OFW and immigrant remittances.... Thus, there’s no reason to treat these 'modern-day heroes' with insensitivity and overtaxation.
[EDITORIAL] Kapag tinatarget ng gobyerno ang isang OFW
Saan kumukuha ng kapal ng apog ang mga taga-POLO upang isiping isusuko na lang ng Taiwan si Linn Ordidor dahil hiniling nila ito?
DOLE sets protocols for workplaces operating in quarantine
The protocols entail strict record-keeping by employers
Workers tighten belts as gov't aid remains uncertain
Only a fraction of Filipino workers hit by the pandemic qualify for government aid. DOLE says they no longer have extra funds.
‘Ayuda, hindi bala:’ Filipinos online demand improved gov’t support on Labor Day 2020
The lockdown does not stop Filipinos from protesting from home and calling for better government aid amid the coronavirus crisis
Iloilo cops arrest 40 activists protesting murder of Bayan Muna coordinator
Bayan Panay says they planned to light a candle where Porquia was killed
[OPINION] May Day under quarantine: Situating labor’s role in navigating the crisis
'It is clear that a return to the normal – defined by the primacy of profit over the common good – is untenable, lest we risk further crises down the road'
Cops arrest labor leaders keeping distance during Labor Day protest
The police arrest two labor leaders from Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino who staged a protest in a subdivision in Rodriguez, Rizal
[OPINION] The unbearable emptiness of being called heroes in this pandemic
'Look closely and see that theirs is not a heroic situation but a hostage-taking situation. We have martyrs, not heroes, trapped within a system that prefers profit over people.'
[OPINION] From hospitals to farms and forests: Stand with our frontline workers
'For now, let us take to social media – the broadest unity of trade unions are waving the #RedLaborDay2020 banner this Labor Day on Twitter and Facebook'
[OPINION] New normal? Better normal!
'This pandemic has laid bare in the cruelest way, the extraordinary precariousness and injustices of our world of work'
Groups to hold first ever online protests on Labor Day
Labor groups urge workers to voice out their complaints against the government's slow delivery of aid during the pandemic, as they take their battlecry online
DOLE's P25-billion coronavirus recovery plan: 1 million jobs, wage subsidy
The wage subsidy program will cover micro and small enterprises, including those in the gig economy and members of the media
FALSE: Groups will hold Labor Day protests on the streets, despite quarantine rules
The Labor Day protests will be held online or at home through selfies, online programs, and/or noise barrages
Taiwan rejects deportation of OFW critical of Duterte
News reports from Taiwan quote its foreign ministry as saying that foreign workers enjoy freedom of speech and 'citizen treatment'
MovePH Webinar: Coronavirus impact on PH employment and workers’ welfare
Ahead of Labor Day, Rappler will host a webinar to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on local employment
U.N. tells firms to make worker returns safe as lockdowns ease
Employers should also provide mental health support for staff, ILO says
DOLE asks Taiwan to deport OFW with Facebook posts criticizing Duterte
The Philippine government wants Taiwan to deport a Filipina caregiver for her ‘nasty and malevolent’ posts about the President
DOLE approves 45,000 applications for OFW cash aid
Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III has asked overseas labor offices to be 'flexible' when processing requirements of applicants given their urgent need
MovePH Webinar: Coronavirus impact on OFW welfare and employment
Join us on Tuesday, April 28, at 3 pm
DOLE takes back advisory on ending OFW cash aid in some countries
(UPDATED) DOLE describes as 'wrong' its earlier announcement that it has run out of money for OFWs who have lost their jobs due to the pandemic
Bello suspends Dubai welfare officer over misconduct
(UPDATED) The suspension comes after the government was accused of repurposing donations into relief packs for Dubai OFWs affected by the coronavirus pandemic
Uzbekistan asks global retailers to lift cotton boycott due to pandemic
Uzbekistan's labor ministry says 1.5 million Uzbeks are unemployed as a result of lockdown measures and other factors related to the global coronavirus pandemic
DOLE stops accepting applications for workers' cash aid
'The requests simply ballooned beyond the capacity of DOLE's resources,' says Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III
Over 1 million Filipino workers displaced due to coronavirus
The Department of Labor and Employment again urges businesses to continue paying their workers during the outbreak
'State of limbo': Labor groups oppose deployment ban on health workers
The ban is 'unfair,' especially to workers who already have jobs waiting for them abroad, says the Nagkaisa Labor Coalition
GUIDELINES: OFWs eligible for DOLE's coronavirus assistance
Here are the Department of Labor and Employment's guidelines for its cash assistance program for OFWs affected by the coronavirus outbreak
DOLE to distribute P45.7-million aid to 9,000 displaced workers in Bicol
About 9,144 applicants of cash aid from the Bicol region will get P5,000 each from the Department of Labor and Employment
Worker abuse rampant under Luzon lockdown – labor group
The labor group gathers reports of unjust employer practices from 318 employees in 160 companies during the coronavirus crisis
DOLE allows firms to defer giving holiday pay for Holy Week
Payment of holiday pay for April 9, 10, and 11 can be deferred until 'the normal operations of the establishment [are] in place'
[ANALYSIS] Why a social dialogue must happen now
This pandemic has mercilessly exposed the deep fault lines in our labor markets. In a world where only one in 5 people are eligible for unemployment benefits, layoffs spell catastrophe for millions of families.
Task force pushes for P1.5-B financial aid to OFWs, workers hit by lockdown
Filipino workers unable to get to their jobs abroad could receive P10,000, while employees of local companies affected by the coronavirus lockdown may get P5,000 from the government
Groups slam 'grossly anti-poor' measures for labor during Metro Manila lockdown
'We have toiled so much and are solely responsible for the profits and success of companies, it's about time we are paid back as part of our fair share of the pie during these trying times,' says the Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino
