INAPRUBAHAN ni Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. ang executive order (EO) na lilikha sa isang inter-agency committee para palakasin ang koordinasyon at padaliin ang resolusyon ng labor cases sa bansa.
Nauna rito, tinintahan ni Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin ang Executive Order No. 23, araw ng Linggo, na naglalayon din na palakasin at protektahan ang freedom of association at karapatan na iorganisa o ayusin ang mga manggagawa.
Nabanggit din sa EO ang mga alalahanin ng iba’t ibang grupo ukol sa implementasyon ng ILO (International Labor Organization) Convention No. 87 sa Pilipinas, “in view of reported incidents of acts of violence, extra-judicial killings, harassment, suppression of trade union rights and red-tagging allegedly perpetrated by State agents, targeting in particular, certain trade unions and workers.”
“At the 108th session of the International Labor Conference (ILC) in June 2019, a high-level tripartite mission(HLTM) was created to inquire into the aforementioned reported incidents in the purpose of assisting the Philippine government in taking immediate and effective action on the following specific areas: (i) measures to prevent violence in relation to the exercise of legitimate activities by workers’ organizations; (ii) investigation of allegations of violence against members of workers’ organizations with a view of establishing the facts, determining culpability and punishing the perpetrators; (iii) operationalization of monitoring bodies; and (iv) measures to ensure that all workers, without distinction, are able to form and join organizations of their choosing, in accordance to ILO Convention No. 87,” ayon pa rin sa EO.
Nakasaad pa rin sa EO na ang Inter-Agency Committee for the Protection of the Freedom of Association at Right to Organize of Workers ay pamumunuan ng Executive Secretary habang ang Kalihim ng Department of Labor and Employment, ang magiging vice chair nito.
Ang mga miyembro naman ng Inter-Agency panel ay ang Department of Justice, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of National Defense, Department of Trade and Industry, National Security Council at Philippine National Police.
“When necessary, the Inter-Agency Committee may request the attendance or participation of other relevant agencies, such as the Civil Service Commission and the Commission of Human Rights,” ang nakasaad sa EO.
Ang mga tungkulin naman ng Inter-Agency Committee ay kinabibilangan ng “consolidation and evaluation of all comprehensive reports, which contain findings and recommendations by concerned agencies to be submitted to the President; and developing a roadmap containing the priority areas of action, tangible deliverables, clear responsibilities and appropriate timeframes, consistent with the recommendations of the HLTM.”
“The roadmap shall be subject to regular review and should consider the consolidated reports and recommendations from the concerned agencies and inputs from other relevant stakeholders,” ayon sa EO.
“Each of the concerned agencies shall designate a focal unit or office within the agency, to be headed by an official with a rank not lower than that of an Undersecretary, which shall monitor, evaluate and report on the implementation and progress of agency action plans, initiatives relating to freedom of association and rights to organize and to collective bargaining,” ang makikita sa EO. (Daris Jose)