Nanawagan ng pananagutan at aksyon mula sa Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) ang grupo ng mga empleyado mula sa iba’t ibang business process outsourcing (BPO) company sa bansa para protektahan ang kanilang mga karapatan at kapakanan bilang manggagawa sa kasagsagan ng mga sakuna.
Sa kanilang isinapublikong petisyon noong Linggo, Nobyembre 9, ibinahagi ng independent workers’ group na BPO Industry Employees’ Network (BIEN) ang “business-as-usual” na protocol ng maraming kompanya sa kabila ng mga panganib na dala ng ulan at pagbaha dala ng bagyong Uwan.
“As Typhoon Uwan intensifies into a super typhoon and floods continue to rise across the country, BPO workers are once again left to fend for ourselves. Reports have reached us from multiple companies showing the same “business-as-usual” attitude despite the dangerous weather conditions,” saad ng grupo sa kanilang petisyon.
Dito ay inilista nila ang 77 BPO companies na nag-oobliga sa kanilang mga empleyado na tuloy pa ring pumasok sa gitna ng kalamidad kaakibat ang mga umano’y hindi patas na work incentives.
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“The few considerations that companies extend are not acts of compassion. These are token measures meant to sustain business continuity at the expense of workers’ safety,” ani ng BIEN.
Ibinahagi pa ng grupo na sa kamakailan na pagdaan ng bagyong Tino, naghain na rin sila ng reklamo sa DOLE hinggil sa umano’y pamimilit ng ilang kompanya ang kanilang mga empleyado na mag-report sa kabila ng pamiminsala ng bagyo, ngunit wala pa rin daw aksyon hanggang ngayon.
“We have already tried doing things the “proper” way. During Typhoon Tino, we reported similar violations to DOLE, companies that forced employees to report for duty despite unsafe conditions. Yet until now, we have received no response, no update, and no indication that DOLE took any concrete action. This silence and inaction have forced us to bring these issues directly to the public. If DOLE will not listen behind closed doors, perhaps they will listen when workers speak out together and online,” ani nila.
“We call on DOLE to immediately act—not tomorrow, not after the typhoon has passed, but now. Call on these companies who continue to force their workers to report to work and ensure that no BPO worker is punished, penalized, or forced to use leave credits for prioritizing their safety,” dagdag pa nila.
Sa pagtatapos ng kanilang petisyon, direktang nagbabala ang BIEN sa BPO companies na magpapatuloy silang isapubliko ang kanilang mga umano’y hindi maayos na pamamalakad.
“To BPO companies, act now—suspend work and grant emergency leave with pay. You owe this to your workers, the very backbone of your operations. Without them, there is no service, no profit. If you continue to neglect their safety, we will not hesitate to name and call out your companies publicly,” panawagan ng grupo.
“We will not stand idly by while workers risk their lives just to keep the profits flowing. Our safety is not negotiable. Our lives matter more than their margins,” dagdag pa nila.
Sean Antonio/BALITA
