House of Representatives (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)

Deputy Minority Leader AAMBlS-Owa Party-List Rep. Lex Anthony Cris Colada has formally asked the House of Representatives to look into Shopee Express' alleged labor malpractices, while difficult into the ownership of its affiliate company Shopee Philippines.

This, after he filed on Monday, May 13 House Resolution (HR) No. 1718, which directed the appropriate House of Representatives committee to conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation, on the concerns about two local subsidiaries of the Singapore-based e-commerce giant Sea Group.

In his resolution, Colada highlighted the poor working conditions among employees of logistics firm SPX Philippines Inc. or more popularly known as Shopee Express.

The party-list solon recalled that back in 2021, drivers protested against Shopee Express because of an over one-year delay in their compensation and salary payments, on top of the lack of social and welfare benefits like accident and health insurance coverage.

The following year, Shopee Philippines and Shopee Express reportedly fired many employees, including SPX drivers, even as the companies proclaimed they have been expanding their operations in the country.

"There has been an alarming increase in the number of labor cases related to and against SPX in the past and current year, including cases that involve labor-only contracting and union busting," said Colada.

"There are reports that SPX has been actively preventing the unionization and organization of its workforce by claiming that these personnel are not actual employees of Shopee and SPX, as evidenced by the circumstances surrounding the petition for certification of election filed by the Association of Genuine Labor Organizations (AGLO) and SPX Philippine Employees Union (SPX-PEU-AGLO) on behalf of several concerned SPX drivers.

"The concerned SPX drivers, wishing to be unionized as SPX-PEU-AGLO, have legitimate and valid concerns for their welfare and livelihood which may only be addressed through collective bargaining efforts," he added.

Colada was referring to about 257 truck drivers who had filed a petition for direct certification election, for purposes of collective bargaining. These drivers, who regularly transported goods for Shopee Express but were yet to be regularized, wanted to form a union that will protect their labor rights in order to ensure proper wages and work hours.

The 1987 Constitution, under Article Ill, Section 8, as well as the Labor Code of the Philippines, both uphold Filipino workers' right to collective bargaining and unionization.

The drivers had claimed that Shopee Express employs them, as the trucks they drive belonged to Shopee Philippines, citing official documents and records. Their trucks were also being deployed and dispatched therefore, controlled, mobilized and supervised solely by Shopee Express.

However, Shopee's management had prevented these drivers from forming a union as it claimed they were not direct employees.

Shopee Philippines had also contended that Shopee Express truck drivers were supposedly employed by their 22 contractors and subcontractors across the country.

"With the continued growth of e-commerce in the Philippines, as well as the dominance of a few e-commerce marketplaces controlling a majority of e-commerce transactions in the country, it is imperative that entities such as Shopee and SPX comply with labor laws and standards that protect the welfare and livelihood of Filipinos," Colada pointed out.