DAVAO CITY – A labor institute said that the administration of President Benigno Aquino III failed to act upon changes on the workers workplace safety policy one year after the Kentex fire tragedy in Metro Manila.
The Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development (IOHSAD) said the Aquino administration “failed to carry out major changes in workplace safety policies a year after the worst factory fire in the country’s history.”
Instead, the Department of Labor Order 131-13 or the Labor Laws Compliance System (LLCS) is being continued, the IOHSAD said.
According to Nadia de Leon, IOHSAD advocacy officer, the LLCS failed to ensure workers’ safety and overlooked the grave violations of the Occupational Health and Safety standards committed by the Kentex management.
On May 13 last year, a factory of Kentex footwear manufacturing company was burned down, locking and killing 74 workers inside.
De Leon and her group called on the government “to take on and not renege from its task of ensuring workers’ safety in the workplace.”
“Let us not allow the death of Kentex workers to be in vain. Let us continue to fight for safe workplaces for Filipino workers,” she added.
Meanwhile, Gabriela Women’s Party (GWP), who joined the orphaned families in a memorial mass held at the burnt out shell of the former Kentex factory, criticized Aquino’s anti-labor policies “as the culprit behind what could have been an easily prevented tragedy.”
“One year since the death of 74 workers of Kentex, the life of millions of workers across the country are also in danger due to dangerous workplace and lack of protection from danger in their workplace,” Rep. Emmi De Jesus said.
De Jesus also said that Dole’s 131-13 “adds insult to injury” as it is still been implemented.
The group said the order is said to allow voluntary compliance by factory owners to safety standards.
De Jesus said GWP “pledges to address unsafe working conditions and the scourge of labor-only contracting in bills we will file once Congress convenes in July.” (davaotoday.com)
