Philippine gov’t shuts down BPO firms for labor, safety violations after quake

According to DOLE, one of the BPO firms did not have an emergency and disaster plan for earthquakes and other natural disasters. Another company was also found to have deficiencies in its occupational health and safety programmes. 

Roy Buenafe, director for DOLE’s Central Visayas office, only two of the BPO companies handed with work stoppage orders have begun to comply with occupational safety requirements. He added that the agency will inspect nearly two dozen more BPO firms in Cebu for possible violations.

DOLE said the cease and desist orders will remain until the affected companies address concerns regarding work safety hazards. 

Early in October, the BPO Industry Employees Network (BIEN) filed complaints against 30 BPO companies for allegedly violating labor and occupational safety laws after a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck the Visayas archipelago, leaving at least 72 dead and over 500 injured.

According to BIEN’s Cebu affiliate, employees were reportedly prevented from evacuating from their offices during and after the earthquake. Emergency exits in some of the offices were reportedly blocked to stop people from leaving.

Additionally, some employees were ordered by management to resume work immediately after the earthquake, threatening disciplinary action to those who failed to comply.

“Multiple incidents of employees insisting on not reporting to work were met with notices-to-explain (NTEs), administrative sanctions, loss of attendance incentives and benefits, among many retaliatory actions,” BIEN spokesman John Kyle Enero said. 

“BIEN-Cebu rejects this ‘business-as-usual’ approach of BPO companies and government neglect during this time of crisis. We call on all BPO workers to unite and fight back against this blatant disregard of workers’ rights,” he added.

The incidents drew widespread condemnation on social media, with government officials threatening sanctions in response.

“I need to be sure that this [allegation is] true… we will do more than just file a complaint at DOLE. I will personally contact every known local and overseas client that company has and tell them what kind of company they hired,” Cebu City Vice Mayor Tommy Osmeña posted in a Facebook post, referring to one of the companies under investigation.

On Wednesday, Senator Raffy Tulfo urged the filing of cases against erring BPO companies, citing existing labor laws that require employers to prioritize worker safety and allow workers to refuse work if imminent danger exists.

“I want these companies and the people involved to face charges because they value profit over the lives and safety of their workers,” he said.

Tulfo, who heads the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development, filed a resolution on Monday directing the government to craft mechanisms to protect BPO workers during emergencies while ensuring compliance with labour and occupational safety laws.