By Liza Soriano
MANILA — Senator Grace Poe has urged employers to prioritize the protection of workers during this hot season by allowing them to take heat breaks and implementing alternative work arrangements.
“As we continue to endure the extreme heat, we urge offices to provide heat breaks, alternative work arrangements, and adhere to other measures to ensure a safe environment for their workers,” Poe said in a statement on Labor Day.
The senator also reiterated the call for capable employers, to provide supplementary allowances to their employees.
Meanwhile, Sen. Risa Hontiveros also emphasized the importance of protecting delivery riders, construction workers, and workers in the agriculture sector, especially during the El Niño phenomenon.
“Their services are invaluable to our communities, but the conditions outside— their very workplaces— are becoming increasingly hazardous,” she said.
The lawmaker also urged the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to increase support for jeepney drivers.
“[T]here should be a well-thought-out plan for routes, a budget for service contracting, and assurance that banks will lend to jeepney cooperatives. Having an efficient transportation system makes a big difference for workers and the economy,” Hontiveros said.
“It is my firm belief that our laws and policies must encompass the diverse realities of workers today.”
(el Amigo/MNM)
