DOLE flags PLDT, PAL for supposed labor law violations

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on Wednesday flagged Pangilinan-led PLDT Inc. and flag carrier Philippine Airlines for their supposed violation of Philippine labor laws.

According to a report on GMA's "24 Oras," Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III said he will order the companies to regularize workers.

"I will order the regularization of close to 10,000 workers under contracting and subcontracting arrangement but are performing jobs that are directly related to PLDT business," Bello said in the report.

In the report, Bello also said that some of PLDT's contractors and subcontractors were not registered with the government, or had expired registrations.

In response, PLDT said it will fully cooperate with the DOLE to comply with the country's labor regulations.

"PLDT will continue to fully cooperate with the DOLE in connection with the ongoing audit process. PLDT is committed to fully comply with all existing labors and regulations," it said in an emailed statement.

According to PLDT, it has not yet received any order from DOLE, other than document requests in relation to the government's audit on the private sector's compliance with labor laws.

"The company and its contractors continue to submit documents requested by the DOLE as part of this ongoing audit," it said.

DOLE will also release next month the results of its audit on Philippine Airlines and PAL Express.

"We noted violations on general labor standards. For example: underpayment of wages, non-payment of overtime pay and service incentively," Bello said.

Officials of PAL and PAL Express could not be immediately reached for comment.

To recall, Bello last month ordered the immediate prohibition of "endo" or the practice of indefinite contractualization by employers under Department Order 174.

It also prohibits the following:

• contracting out jobs or work through in-house agency
• contracting out jobs or work through in-house cooperative (which merely supplies workers to the principal)
• contracting out job by reason of strike or lockout whether actual or imminent
• contracting out job or work by union members (to interfere with, restrain or coerce employees in the exercise of their rights to self-organization)

—Jon Viktor D. Cabuenas/JST, GMA News