CHR, DOLE mark Labor Day with assistance for labor rights defenders

The Commission of Human Rights (CHR) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) marked International Labor Day by launching a financial and economic assistance program for workers who have fought for labor rights.

The program, dubbed the Labor, Intervention, Financial, and Economic (LIFE) Assistance Program, is a targeted economic recovery initiative that seeks to support individuals who have faced challenges related to labor rights. This includes those who encountered harassment, threats, or violence in connection with union organizing and labor rights advocacy.

"This program aims to address their immediate economic needs and help rebuild their livelihoods," the CHR said.

Under LIFE, workers and their kin are entitled to various support packages, including livelihood assistance, scholarships, government internship programs, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) skills training, and referrals to the appropriate agencies or offices for necessary interventions and programs based on their specific needs.

"Through this initiative, CHR and DOLE affirm their joint commitment to ensure that Filipino workers and their families can live with dignity—free from fear, and empowered to claim their rights," the CHR added.

The LIFE program stemmed from the memorandum of agreement (MOA) and Data Sharing Agreement (DSA) signed between CHR and DOLE on October 20, 2023.

These agreements were part of the Philippines’ response to the observations raised during the High-Level Tripartite Mission (HLTM) of the International Labour Organization (ILO) in addressing persistent labor-related challenges.

The LIFE assistance program also states the CHR's commitment to submit a comprehensive list of labor-related cases that it has investigated across all regions across the country to the Labor department for the determination of qualified beneficiaries.

"This cooperation also affirms CHR’s commitment under Executive Order No. 23, s. 2023 on “Reinforcing and Protecting the Freedom of Association and Right to Organize of Workers," the CHR said.

The EO mandates the government to ensure the protection of trade union rights and requires inter-agency collaboration in investigating and resolving labor rights violations.

CHR, as the country’s independent national human rights institution, expresses its full support to DOLE and other partners in ensuring that workers’ rights are not only respected in principle but made real through responsive programs and sustained cooperation," the CHR said. —VAL, GMA Integrated News