Aid sought for Mactan eco-zone workers facing retrenchment

MANILA, Philippines — Labor groups yesterday demanded immediate employment for the 4,000 workers of the Mactan Export Processing Zone who are facing retrenchment.

The Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) urged the city government of Lapu-Lapu to persuade the Sports City to rehire the workers once business picks up.

The group also asked the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to hasten discussions on the enactment of employment guarantees and wage subsidies as permanent social protection mechanisms.

PM spokesman Dennis Derige welcomed the city council’s offer to help the workers, but he said this is just a temporary aid.

Aside from the mass layoffs at Sports City, Derige said thousands of workers from other companies may also lose their jobs.

He said social protection is a necessary response to the challenges besetting the labor sector.

At the height of the pandemic, labor groups pushed for public employment, preferably in climate jobs for unemployed workers.

Labor groups also sought wage subsidies equivalent to 75 percent of the prevailing minimum wage to save jobs of workers in micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

“By providing wage subsidies to workers in MSMEs, the government gave them incentives against shedding their employees. This also protects the purchasing power of workers, which enabled the economy to float instead of sinking due to the crisis,” Derige said.