MANILA, Philippines — Labor group Kilosang Mayo Uno on Thursday called on the Department of Labor and Employment to act on and investigate what it called the intensified violation of workers' rights across the country amid the COVID-19 crisis.
KMU, in a statement, said DOLE's compliance orders affirming that salaries must be paid even when workers are unable to work during the lockdown are insufficient, citing continued reports of alleged violations of workers' rights.
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"DOLE needs immediate action and political will to protect the workers. The compliance papers are not enough," KMU secretary general Jerome Adonis is quoted as saying in Filipino, adding that workers are "hungry and helpless" amid the lockdown.
Among the incidents cited by KMU was Chinese tech firm Vivo's firing of 689 of its employees.
DOLE on August 24 said it was probing the incident after more than 200 of the former employees trooped to its Intramuros office to protest their termination and to seek help.
The group also raised the plight of 26 workers infected with COVID-19 and another 200 of their co-workers who are under lockdown at a construction project in Barangay E. Rodriguez where a "no work, no pay" policy is being implemented, according to an ABS-CBN News report.
KMU also claimed that several places, including government offices, continue to implement "no vaccine, no work" policies despite these being illegal. The labor department earlier this month said it was looking into the matter but noted that it has not yet received any formal complaints.