MANILA — Lawmakers belonging to the Makabayan bloc at the House of Representatives on Tuesday sought a congressional probe into the alleged “illegal” and “unfair” labor practices of Jollibee Foods Corp. (JFC) and its service contractors.
The group filed House Resolution 2009, which directs the House committee on labor and employment to investigate the labor practices of JFC, which topped the list of corporations with the highest number of labor-only contracting workers.
The bloc stressed the need to revisit the Labor Code provisions and issuances of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on contractualization and labor-only contracting.
“It is of public interest for the House of Representatives to look into the operations of Jollibee and its service contractors as micro-model for determining loopholes in labor laws that allow the proliferation of labor-only contracting leading to undermining the security of tenure of our workers,” the group said in its resolution.
The group said Congress should also identify the difficulties that prevent DOLE from exercising its authority to compel companies to observe the security of tenure of workers.
The group cited the DOLE assessment report, which found that Jollibee violated the security of tenure of its workers, by contracting out to service contractors its personnel requirements for tasks and responsibilities that are vital and directly-related to its business operation.
Most of these workers are deployed in the kitchen, dining services, and cash registry.
The DOLE report also affirmed that some of the exactions on the employees’ wages were unauthorized and constituted interference of the disposition of the employees’ wages in violation of the Labor Code provision protecting the integrity of the employees’ wages.
DOLE has already ordered JFC to regularize 6,482 workers deployed by its two contractors earlier this year.
The members of the Makabayan bloc are Gabriela Reps. Arlene Brosas and Emmi de Jesus, ACT Teacher Reps. Antonio Tinio and France Castro, Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate, Anakpawis Rep. Ariel Casilao, and Kabataan Rep. Sarah Elago. (Filane Mikee Cervantes/PNA)
