THE Department of Labor and Employment is now conducting consultations on the possible impact on business and workers of a proposal requiring a Philippine National Police (PNP) clearance for its transactions with the public, but labor groups are warning DOLE officials this may be used to harass unions.
Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III said they are still studying the proposal since it could affect their operations.
Besides labor union registrations, DOLE issues Alien Employment Permits for foreign nationals and working child permits.
It also gives occupational safety clearances to businesses.
Additional requirement
Bello said he has directed his senior officials to gather inputs from the affected stakeholders.
Sentro ng Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (Sentro) Secretary-General Joshua Mata said labor groups were given until April 25, 2021 to submit their reply on the survey being done by the Bureau of Labor Relations (BLR) on the matter.
In a letter submitted to him last month, Bello said PNP chief Debold Sinas asked DOLE to make use of their National Police Clearance (NPC) to “have a broader information as to the character” of their applicants.
“This means before we issue a permit, there should first be a police clearance,” Bello said in a phone interview.
“I replied [to his letter] that his intention was good, but for us to consider it, I will have to consult our usual tripartite: workers, employers and the DTI [Department of Trade and Industry],” he added.
Labor opposition
Labor coalition Nagkaisa rejected the “absurd” proposal, which it stressed violates the International Labor Organization Convention 87, which “reminds public authorities to refrain from any interference which would restrict this right or impede the lawful exercise of the right to self-organization.”
Nagkaisa said in a statement: “Requiring police or military clearance in the registration of unions or in the exercise of workers’ right is not only a red tape burden but also a manifestation of an unstable government afraid of its own shadow.”
For its part, Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP) said the NPC can be abused by PNP and encourage its red-tagging of labor unions.
“The PNP’s major objective becomes clear: to crush the labor movement further and transform Filipino workers into an impoverished and docile labor force,” said BMP in a separate statement.
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