DOLE suspends labor inspections

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) yesterday announced the suspension of routine labor inspections of all commercial establishments starting on Dec. 8.

“Like in the past years, we are suspending routine inspections from Dec. 8 to Jan. 7 to avoid suspicions that our inspectors are just asking for holiday gifts,” Labor Undersecretary Joel Maglunsod said.

Maglunsod said Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello will issue the necessary administrative order directing all DOLE regional directors to suspend labor inspections in their areas of jurisdiction.

But Maglunsod said inspections based on complaints for violations of labor standards and occupational safety and health rules are not covered by the suspension.

He said companies engaged in the manufacturing and distribution of firecrackers are also not covered by the inspection moratorium.

DOLE traditionally suspends routine labor inspections during the holiday season to prevent labor inspectors from abusing their authority to solicit gifts.

Maglunsod said DOLE opted to delay for a few days the start of the inspection moratorium – usually set on Dec. 1 – to give regional offices more time to meet their target number of workers to be regularized.

Each regional office has a target number of workers to be regularized in line with the DOLE’s campaign to end all illegal forms of contractualization by the end of the year.

Since DOLE launched the campaign against illegal contractualization in 2016, over 75,000 workers have been regularized while 125,000 are in the process of regularization, Maglunsod said.