By Leslie Ann Aquino
With over 900,000 establishments to be inspected, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III has given the green light for the enlistment of 200 new labor inspectors.
Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III (ROBINSON NIÑAL JR./Presidential Photo / MANILA BULLETIN)
This is to beef up the roster of a little more than 500 labor inspectors already deployed nationwide.
Those to be recruited are part of the 2,000 new inspectors being eyed by the labor department.
Recently, Bello has sworn into office 35 new labor laws compliance officers who will be deployed soon in critical areas.
"Today you have become labor inspectors. This is a big responsibility because you are tasked to champion and translate into action our commitment for intensified social protection for our Filipino workers,” he said in a statement.
Bello said he expects that their addition to the roster of LLCOs will boost and spell greater success to their all-out campaign to provide the Filipino workers job security, protected rights, enhanced welfare and a safer and healthy working environment.
"Remember that you will now be in the frontline and your paramount duty is the promotion of workers’ welfare, safety and protection. Bear in mind that these same fundamental enjoyments for workers are the necessary elements in ensuring the sustainability and growth of businesses and industries,” Bello said.
According to DOLE, 12 of the new LLCOs are licensed engineers; three are under board engineers, 10 are nurses, and three are graduates of law. The others are teachers, and commerce, business management and criminology graduates.
The labor inspectors are tasked to visit, assess, and inspect businesses in the country to ensure compliance with general labor standards and occupational safety and health standards.
Earlier, DOLE submitted an initial list to Malacanang of companies found violating the prohibition against illegal contracting and sub-contracting. In the list are about 3,000 companies.