BPO workers in Cebu allege labor, safety violations during earthquake

A group of call center workers on Thursday formally filed a complaint with the Department of Labor and Employment- Regional Office 7 (DOLE-RO7), citing reports of labor rights and occupational safety violations of some business process outsourcing (BPO) companies amid the 6.9-magnitude quake that hit Cebu on Tuesday, September 30. 

The BPO Industry Employees Network (BIEN)-Cebu said it received at least 100 complaints from agents in relation to the alleged violations in less than two days, revealing  the “long standing issues of deregulation and lack of oversight over BPO companies.”

Among the reports the workers’ organization received included BPO agents being forced to report to work, and employees being slapped with notices-to-explain, administrative sanctions, loss of attendance incentives and benefits, and other retaliatory actions for opting not to report for duty. 

“BIEN-Cebu stands with Cebu BPO workers as they express their rage and discontent over reckless company policies that pushed them to highly stressful, if not dangerous, working conditions amidst the ongoing disaster,” spokesperson John Kyle Enero said in a press statement. 

“BIEN-Cebu rejects this 'business-as-usual' approach of BPO companies, and government neglect during this time of crisis. We call on all BPO workers to unite and fight back against this blatant disregard of workers' rights. BIEN-Cebu will continue to be an avenue where BPO workers can fight collectively for their rights and welfare,” Enero added. 

DOLE

Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma said the DOLE RO7 has started its investigation into the incident to determine the proper actions that can be taken against the alleged erring BPO companies. 

“The filing of the complaint is more welcome to enable the DOLE to establish the guilt and liability of employers being complained of,” Laguesma told GMA News Online. 

“Without preempting the outcome of the investigation, workers cannot be compelled to report for work if they fear or believe that their workplace is unsafe or hazardous. The company cannot just impose disciplinary action if the refusal or non- reporting is based on justifiable ground, i.e fear for their safety or health concerns,” he said. 

The death toll from the devastating earthquake has reached at least 72, with more than 200 injured, latest data from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) showed. 

The magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck Bogo City, Cebu on Tuesday has affected 47,221 families, or 170,959, and displaced 20,000 persons, according to their data.

Aftershocks also continue to be felt in the province with the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) reporting 2,461 of them as of 6 a.m. on Thursday. — BM, GMA Integrated News