Bill pushes labor court for OFWs

Sen. Raffy Tulfo has filed a measure seeking to establish a separate quasi-judicial body that will handle labor disputes involving overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

Tulfo, chair of the Senate committee on migrant workers, Senate Bill (SB) No. 1480, which seeks to create the Migrant Workers Relations Commission (MWRC) would expedite the resolution of OFW complaints.

A separate court would supposedly help OFWs “avoid the prolonged procedures commonly associated with the NLRC (National Labor Relations Commission) in their quest for justice,” the senator said.

The NLRC, a quasi-judicial agency under the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), currently handles labor and management disputes involving both local and overseas workers.

“The NLRC processes over 30,000 cases each year, making OFW cases especially susceptible to delays and backlogs,” Tulfo said in the explanatory note of SB 1480.

He noted that while the NLRC is a “well-established and vital organization,” its broad mandate covering both domestic and migrant workers has contributed to heavy caseloads." 

“Reports indicate that this large volume of cases has caused considerable delays, adversely affecting OFWs in their pursuit of justice,” he said.

Under SB 1480, the MWRC would have exclusive jurisdiction over all cases involving Filipino migrant workers, both land-based and sea-based, regardless of whether they are covered by collective bargaining agreements.

The body would be attached to the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) for policy coordination.

The commission would have three divisions, each composed of three commissioners.

Each division would be headed by a presiding commissioner from the public sector, with one commissioner nominated by migrant workers and another nominated by private recruitment and manning agencies.—MCG, GMA Integrated News