ILS - DOLE

WITH THE THEME, “Crossroads in Labor Relations,” the Institute for Labor Studies (ILS), the research policy and advocacy arm of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), held a working world trialogue on industrial relations from June 3 to June 4 at the Occupational Safety and Health Center in Quezon City.

The two-day event, which gathered representatives from various government agencies, private companies, labor unions and sectoral groups, aimed to address the issue and need of government intervention in resolving labor disputes nowadays.

For the first day of the Trialogue, flexibility and security of tenure issues were at the forefront of the discussions for the day. For the first session of the day, representatives from Fujitsu Corporation, Banco de Oro and JobStreet will discuss their respective companies’ policies and attitudes toward flexibility and other workers’ issues, especially at the height of the global financial crisis. For the second half, speakers from RCM Manufacturing, Honda Philippines and various cause-oriented groups such as Visayan Forum, Rock Ed Philippines and PATAMABA, voiced out and shared their views and experiences in promoting harmoniously workers’ welfare and issues in the workplace. Further, Mr. Levinson C. Alcantara, Chief Labor and Employment Officer of the ILS, presented his paper on new trends in labor unions and workers’ groups in the evolving face of the workplace.

As for the second day of the Trialogue, labor dispute settlement took the center stage as representatives from the labor groups and various DOLE offices gather and join hands together in discussing and tackling this very important issue. For the first order of the day, representatives from local government units in Marikina and Quezon City discussed how they are trying to resolve industrial disputes at the local level. Further, industrial peace and strikes and the challenges of flexibility to the protection of workers’ rights will also be discussed during the second day of the Trialogue. Moreover, participants and stakeholders also discussed and addressed the issue and the need of government intervention in resolving labor and industrial disputes.

In closing, the Trialogue hoped all participants and stakeholders to come up with ideas and insights in creating a labor policy that balances the interests of both workers and employers.

The WWT is a public forum organized by the ILS. A Trialogue is designed especially for issues on labor and employment that involve multiple stakeholders that need fast-tracked solutions. It is where emerging and urgent labor and employment issues and solutions are discussed among stakeholders and experts.