By Ferdinand Patinio – PNA
MANILA — The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said private companies that will hire persons with disability (PWDs), comprising 10 percent of the total number of employees, will be exempted from labor law compliance inspection for one year.
“The law mandates that employer or business establishments to hire PWDs of at least 1 percent of their business compliment. If there’s a company that will hire more than one percent or will reach 10 percent, I will give immunity from inspection for one year,” Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said in an interview at the Jobs and Opportunities Fair for PWDs at the covered walk of Quezon City Hall on Wednesday.
“For retail business like ng Jollibee, McDonald’s, SM malls. If you will hire 10 percent minimum of PWD who will work for you and they constitute not less than 10 percent of your total compliment, I will give you immunity from inspection for one year,” he added.
The law provides that business establishments and government agencies are required to hire at least one percent of the total workforce of their offices with PWDs.
Bello noted that complaints will still be entertained if the firms involved have several PWDs employees.
“Of course, they are still subject to complaints also. For example, if they do not give them salaries, of course we will have to inspect,” the DOLE chief added.
Meanwhile, a total of eight PWDs were hired-on-the-spot (HOTS) in the one-day job fair, as of 4 p.m..
The employment opportunities include cashier, sales clerk, janitor, promodiser, merchandiser, among others.
A total of 607 applicants have registered composed of 318 males and 289 females.
Some 47 employers participated in the activity with 1,600 job vacancies.
