Tulfo alarmed over violations of labor & safety standards on construction site

During the Senate's recess, Sen. Raffy Tulfo took the opportunity to conduct random inspection of construction sites, garments, canning and candy factories. This as him being the Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Labor and Employment.

It can recalled that the usual number of complaints being received by his office are from laborers regarding abuse and maltreatment of their employers particularly concerning wages and benefits.

The senator initially visited a construction site in Quezon City because construction workers pose the highest number of complaints in the program.

As he set foot at the construction site, Sen. Tulfo was enraged when he personally heard from the workers that despite working for many years with the company is that they continue to receive below minimum wage and have yet to receive a single centavo of their 13th month pay. Adding insult to injury, even their security guards stationed at their site are just receiving half of the set minimum wage in the National Capital Region.

On top of these are the inhumane state of the workers' living quarters that even officials from DOLE, Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and Quezon City Engineering Office were appalled and pitied the detrimental situation of the laborers.

Sen. Tulfo also noticed the workers' lack of proper safety gears and the outdated mechanical equipment they use aren't even assured if it underwent proper service maintenance which the senator emphasized that it could pose serious life threatening scenarios to workers who will operate them.

The Quezon City Engineering Office swiftly warned the Project Engineer of the said construction site and said that if they do not impose reforms and treat their workers properly, their construction permit will be immediately cancelled prompting all their operation to be put on hold.

The Bureau of Fire Protection also cited fire safety protocol violations at the construction site that could lead to serious problems and put the lives of the workers in grave danger.

In the end, Sen. Tulfo assured the underpaid construction workers that they will received their 13th month pay and all the differences from the wages they haven't been paid as backpay to which the workers rejoiced as well as thanked the senator.

TULFO, NAALARMA SA SANDAMAKMAK NA PAGLABAG SA LABOR AT SAFETY STANDARDS NG ISANG CONSTRUCTION SITE

Sinamantala ni Sen. Idol Raffy Tulfo ang pagkakaroon ng recess ng Senado kaya nagsagawa siya ng random inspection sa isang construction site, garments, canning at candy factory bilang Vice Chairman na rin ng Senate Committee on Labor and Employment.

Matatandaan na madalas nakatatanggap ng reklamo ang opisina ni Idol Raffy mula sa mga manggagawa hinggil sa pandedehado ng kanilang mga amo lalo na pagdating sa sweldo at benepisyo.

Inuna niya ang isang construction site sa Quezon City dahil ang mga construction worker ang masugid na mga dumudulog sa kamyamg tanggapan.

Pagdating niya sa isang construction site, nanggalaiti agad siya nang malamang marami sa mga construction worker doon na ilang taon nang nagtatrabaho sa kumpanya ngunit below minimum wage ang sweldo at walang 13th month pay. At ang matindi pa, ang mga security guard doon ay halos kalahati lang ng minimum wage ang natatanggap.

Kalunos-lunos din ang sitwasyon ng kanilang barracks na maging ang kasama niyang taga-DOLE, Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) at Quezon City Engineering Office ay nagulat at naawa sa kalagayan ng mga manggagawa.

Kapansin-pansin din na kulang sa safety gears at ang mga mechanical equipment doon ay unsafe gamitin dahil sa kalumaan at di malaman kung kailan huling na-inspeksyon at sumailam sa isang service maintenance kung kaya't mapanganib sa mga manggagawang gagamit nun.

Ang Quezon City Engineering Office, sa awa sa mga manggagawa ay nagbigay babala sa Project Engineer ng nasabing construction site na kapag hindi nila inayos ang kalagayan ng kanilang mga manggagawa ay maaaring maipakansela ang kanilang construction permit dahil sa pang-aapi sa kanilang mga construction worker.

Napansin din ng BFP na may mga violation ang construction site na posibleng pagmulan ng mga sunog at mailalagay sa peligro ang safety ng mga manggagawa roon.

Sa huli, siniguro ni Sen. Raffy sa mga construction workers na underpaid at hindi nakakatanggap ng 13th month pay na makakasingil sila ng kanilang backpay katumbas ng halagang hindi nila nakuha sa mahabang panahon na ikinatuwa naman ng mga manggagawa.