By PNA and U.S. News Agency / Asian

Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said the proposed amendment of the 36-year-old Labor Code is one of the priorities of the Aquino administration.

Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said the proposal is included in the Philippine Labor and Employment Plan.

“Naka-agenda kay Presidente yung pag-aamend ng Labor Code. Ang pinag-uusapan lang ay kung ito ba ay through commission or yung regular na pagpapasa natin ng batas,” Baldoz said during the Human Development Cluster forum.

“Posibleng through an executive order mag-create siya ng commission, just like the family code … and then gagamitin niya yung existing tripartite industrial peace council para dun kumuha ng mga miyembro,” she added.

She said it is about time to revise the Labor Code to respond to the needs of the current labor market trends.

“1970s pa kasi yung Labor Code. The labor market realities now brought by globalization, hindi na ‘yan sakop ng labor code noon (this is not covered by labor code before),” Baldoz said.

Articles identified for revision are the sections on tenure, contracting and subcontracting of services.

Under the labor subcontracting system, a company hires another company to recruit workers on a temporary basis where workers are not paid the minimum wage or entitled to benefits like social-security coverage, health insurance, and access to low-cost housing services.

Labor groups have long been pushing for the amendment of the outdated Labor Code.

Baldoz said reforms being initiated by the department has the support of the tripartite sector.

“Buhay na buhay ang tripartismo at social dialogue sa ating bansa… Kasama sila sa paggawa ng aming labor and employment sectoral plan,” she said.

The Philippine Labor and Employment Plan 2011-2016 is drafted in response to an order by President Benigno C. Aquino III that each government agency come up with a sectoral plan that supports the Philippine Development Plan in the next five years.