PHL, US sign MOU on labor rights

The Philippines has recently inked a Memorandum of Understanding with the United States seeking to protect Filipino employees and employers in the US by raising awareness about their rights.

“We welcome the opportunity of entering into worker-related bilateral agreements such as this MOU, as a step forward in the fulfillment of our mandate to protect worker rights,” said Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Cuisia, Jr. during the signing ceremonies held on October 22.

Cuisia signed the MOU on behalf of the Department of Foreign Affairs. Signing for the US government was General Counsel Richard Griffin of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

In a statement, the Philippine Embassy in Washington said the latest partnership seeks "to strengthen bilateral efforts to provide Filipino workers, their employers, and Filipino business owners in the US with information, guidance, and access to education regarding their rights and responsibilities under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), the primary law governing relations between employers and employees in the private sector."

The NLRA guarantees workers the right to join together, with or without a union, to improve their wages and working conditions, or to refrain from such activities. It protects both employers and employees from unfair labor practices.

The NLRB, on the other hand, is an independent agency responsible for enforcing the National Labor Relations Act.

Philippine Consul General Fernandez said that under the framework, the NLRB and the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C., as well as NLRB Regional Offices and Philippine Consulates in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Honolulu, will cooperate to provide outreach, education, and training, and to develop best practices.

The MOU with the NLRB is the third agreement the Philippines has entered into with US labor agencies.

“This initiative is an affirmation of the US government’s advocacy for human rights and a demonstration of their appreciation for the Filipinos’ contribution to the US economy,” Cuisia said.

The country had previously signed agreements with the Wage and Hour Division (WHD) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) of the Department of Labor.

Present at the event were NLRB officials as well as guests from the US Department of Labor and the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission. Victoria Navarro, immediate past president of the Philippine Nurses Association of America, also attended the ceremonies.

The event was witnessed via video conference by Consuls General Mario de Leon of the Philippine Consulate General in New York; Leo Herrera Lim in Los Angeles; and Henry Bensurto in San Francisco and was followed by respective engagements at the regional level. —KBK, GMA News