By Leslie Ann Aquino Workers group Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) on Tuesday pushed for ‘across-the-board 14-day paid quarantine leave’ hazard pay for all workers particularly those employees quarantined or infected by the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019 nCoV)  while performing their jobs. TUCP President Raymond Mendoza
(TUCP Party-List / MANILA BULLETIN) “There is an urgent emerging need for government policy regulation for government and private business to provide a devoted and additional across-the-board cash compensation benefit unique only for all frontline employees who are in the first and secondary, exposed directly or indirectly, to the risk of infection to the dangerous nCoV virus,” TUCP President Raymond Mendoza said in a statement. He said workers at the country’s air and seaports such cabin crew, flight attendants, pilots, immigration, airport security and maintenance, customs, check-in counter, bag handlers, ground crew personnel, seamen, and porters are in imminent hazard working under extraordinary circumstances. The labor group also identified professional doctors, nurses, medical health practitioners, cleaners, security guards in private and government-owned and -operated hospitals and quarantine facilities, and hotel and restaurant employees as among those at risk of exposure to the new virus. "These workers are in the forefront, our first line of defense against the hazardous nCov virus and they must be compensated more on top of what they are getting on ordinary working days for sacrificing their life and limb in order to save the rest of the community from the deadly outbreak," Mendoza said. "Government must ensure that employees don’t have to bear the economic burden of being quarantined performing their job.” According to Mendoza, the Department of Labor and Employment labor advisory for employees and employers in the private sectors states employees who may get sick due to nCov exposure may offset absences to their sick and vacation leaves given by the company. However, he said,  these are not enough to cover the 14-day quarantine period. He also reminded employees and employers that workers in the private sector have the right to refuse unsafe work, based on Section 6 of the Republic Act No. 11058 of 2018, otherwise known as an Act Strengthening Compliance With Occupational Safety and Health Standards.