MANILA -- Domestic helpers and other poor workers do not have to worry anymore about the high cost

of pursuing
labor cases against erring employers.
President Aquino signed recently two new labor laws that would not only boost the countrys economic climate but will
also benefit millions of poor workers.
The first law known as an Act Strengthening Tripartism, declared tripartism in labor relations as a state policy,
allowing employers and workers to become part of policy-making bodies of the government.
The same law mandates the establishment of a National Tripartite Industrial Peace Council (NTIPC) headed by the
secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
Composed of representatives from the government, employers and workers, the NTIPC shall monitor full
implementation and compliance of international conventions, declarations, code of conducts and social accords.
The council shall also formulate recommendations to the President and Congress on labor, economic and social
concerns and advise DOLE on implementation of policies and legislation affecting labor and employment.
It shall also serve as communication channel and mechanism for joint programs enhancing labor and management
relations.
The council would serve as a clearing house that would make easier for us to craft new policies with the labor,
management and government discussing and agreeing on its implementation, Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz
said.
Meanwhile, the other law, which amends the Labor Code, mandates mandatory conciliation of all issues arising from
labor disputes.
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) yesterday assured the public of faster and easier resolution of
labor disputes with the signing of the new law.
The DOLEs system of voluntary conciliation and mediation is now institutionalized, which means both workers and
employers must now undergo a 30-day conciliation and exhaust all efforts for settlement of disputes, Baldoz said.
Its an opportunity for all workers, including domestic helpers, drivers, and seafarers to talk and settle dispute with
their employers without the need of paying much for the litigation of cases, Baldoz said.
With the mandatory conciliation, labor disputes can be resolved faster so the high cost of filing complaints that
sometimes even reach the Supreme Court can now be avoided, Baldoz said.
The labor arbiter of the concerned DOLE agency that has jurisdiction over the dispute shall only entertain cases that
have been endorsed or referred by a duly authorized officer.
Both parties involved in the dispute may pre-terminate the conciliation proceedings and request referral to labor office
only if they both agree to refer the unresolved dispute to voluntary arbitration.
Baldoz said the new law will preserve and enhance the delivery of labor justice and will also be useful for both labor
and management considering that majority of companies in the country are small and medium enterprises.
Since the government already has an existing mechanism, Baldoz said the DOLE expects full implementation of the
new laws, published in The STAR yesterday, by May.
We already have the mechanism so the DOLE would probably just make minor improvements and implement the
new law as soon as possible, she said.
The business community welcomed yesterday the signing of new labor laws, which would institutionalize partnership
between the employers and workers nationwide.
The Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) said the new law strengthens tripartism with the creation of
tripartite industrial peace councils at the national, regional, and industry levels.