By Leslie Ann Aquino
President Duterte was urged by the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) to create a tripartite monitoring body for foreign workers.
TUCP President Raymond Mendoza
(TUCP Party-List / MANILA BULLETIN)
TUCP said this is to promote and protect Chinese and all other foreign workers legally working and living in the country.
The tripartite body, the group said should be composed of government agencies, workers groups and private business groups coordinating with foreign embassies with a mandate to inspect and manage the multi-dimensional needs and growth potentials of the industry and its workers.
"There must be a single tripartite board that addresses and manages the issues surrounding these foreign workers," TUCP Partylist Rep. Raymond Mendoza said in a statement.
"This is an escalating new and emerging industry in our domestic world of work setting that gives additional revenues for the government, creates jobs, and opportunities for other industries but no one seem to take the overall responsibility in the face of atrocities, speculations and misperceptions emerging on these workers and the challenges that confront them," he said.
"Right now, no one is in charge of this new multi-billion dollar industry because government agencies have limitations and unable to go beyond their respective mandates," said Mendoza.
With this tripartite government, workers and business oversight body, he said the government must be able to fill the gaps and be able to carefully in control of the overlapping needs of the business and the workers.
Mendoza said a tripartite body is also needed to act as a filter clearing house for the growing industry to address the unresolved issues about illegal recruitment, illegal casinos and POGOs, discrimination, kidnapping for ransom to mention a few.