Noble & novel ideas dedicate for labor

ALAM 2012 Labor Day Message

Noble & novel ideas dedicated for labor

Alab ng Mamamayahag (ALAM) dedicates its labor action plan for the workers in celebration of the Labor Day. 

This is a part of its platform of government submitted as part of its petition for registration as a partylist organization for the 2013 elections.

First, ALAM will work for scrapping of the short-contract rule for works that are actually continuous.

Second, ALAM will work to establish a law requiring corporations to appoint one director of the board from the union, with the union voting in the form of a resolution of all union members and any intended board resolution cannot be valid without the vote of the union. Under this setup, the union can withhold their consent or vote until their demand for disclosure of company information is met.

Third, ALAM will also work for the allowance of joint-venture agreements in case workers opt to a sharing system of gross receipts provided this is approved by the Department of Labor, to encourage entrepreneurial spirit among the workers wanting to join hands with capitalists for any business.

Under this idea, the works rendered by labor will be given an equivalent amount in terms of pesos and it will be considered as workers’ contribution to the joint-venture so that when the distribution of gains comes the employees will get their share pro-rated on the total equivalent amount of work rendered at the time of the sharing. 

However, there will be a provision that the joint-venture must give sufficient amount as allowances for the daily living of the workers and these allowances shall be deducted as cash advances when the sharing comes.  The sharing shall be based on fair wages.

Joint-venture shall be encouraged in service businesses and in agriculture, fish farming and other forms of farming or husbandry.

Fourth, ALAM will push a law that imprisons employers or any person who violate wage and benefit laws, including delays in giving them.

Fifth, ALAM will push a law imprisoning employers or any person committing acts of unfair labor practice and the case must be filed without first waiting for the decision of the labor arbiters or the NLRC that the actions being referred to are indeed unfair labor practices.

Sixth, ALAM will push a law of standardizing public service wages with that of the private sector workers.  It is ironical for the government to punish acts of giving salaries below the minimum wage law in the private industries yet it violates the same on lowly public workers.

Seventh, ALAM will reduce or loosen the requirements in setting up a union in any bargaining unit and it will seek a law giving right to public employees to engage their agencies in contract bargaining agreements.