BACOLOD CITY — The General Alliance of Workers Associations (GAWA) in Negros Occidental has welcomed President Rodrigo Duterte’s signing of Republic Act No. 11058, which seeks to fine employers violating safety and health standards in workplaces.
The group’s secretary general, Wennie Sancho, who is also the labor representative in the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board-Western Visayas, said in a statement on Thursday that they are hopeful RA 11058, or An Act Strengthening Compliance with Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Standards, would give teeth to the provisions of the Labor Code.
He added that organized labor groups want a stringent enforcement of the new law to ensure the provision of health, safety and welfare program to the workers.
Sancho said establishments employing 200 workers or more must have a full-time nurse, physician and dentist while those with more than 50 workers must have qualified first aiders.
A workplace that is hazardous in nature needs a full-time safety officer, he added.
Sancho said the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) should closely monitor the enforcement of the law in workplaces, including those manufacturing firecrackers.
He added that “sweatshops” and “fly-by-night” companies do not provide measures for the health and welfare of the workers, particularly those in the fishing and construction industries.
On Aug. 17, Duterte signed RA 11058 in the state’s bid to “ensure a safe and healthful workplace for all working people by affording them full protection against all hazards in their work environment.”
The law covers all establishments, projects, sites, and all other workplaces in all branches of economic activity, except in the public sector.
It mandates Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III to issue appropriate standards of occupation safety and health based on the number of employees, nature of operations, and the risk of hazard involved.
The law requires employers to furnish the workers a place of employment free from hazardous conditions, give complete job safety instructions or orientation to all the workers, inform the workers of the hazard associated with their work, and use only approved devices and equipment for the workplace.
Employers are also mandated to comply with OSH standards, including training, medical examination, and provision and safety devices. (Erwin Nicavera/PNA)
