CIGAR FACTORY Women are behind work stations at a cigar factory in an economic zone in Carmona town, Cavite province. 鈥擡DWIN BACASMAS
SAN PEDRO CITY, Laguna, Philippines 鈥� Manufacturing companies, whose employees work long hours in confined assembly lines, have considered adjusting the work schedule to minimize the risk of exposure to the new coronavirus (COVID-19), labor officials said.
In Laguna province, the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) said it had also received reports that some electronic companies had cut down their manpower after the importation of raw materials from China, where the disease was first detected, 鈥渟lowed down鈥� due to travel bans.
Enforcing flexible work arrangements came following the surge of infections, 33 cases as of Tuesday, and the Philippines鈥� declaration of a public health emergency.
Although no factory has formally implemented the adjustments, Guido Recio, the Dole director in Laguna, said he had received 鈥渧erbal鈥� communication from 鈥渢hree to five鈥� companies expressing their intent to do so.Laguna hosts more than 10,000 manufacturing plants, mostly in the electronics industry, with raw materials coming mostly from China or other Asian countries. Many are located inside economic zones in the province.
Subject to agreement
With or without the virus scare, the Dole clarified that companies might implement a flexible work schedule but 鈥渟ubject to an agreement [between the management and the] majority of the workers.鈥�
鈥淏y majority, we don鈥檛 just mean 51 percent of the workforce but as much as 80 to 90 percent [of the employees],鈥� Recio said in a telephone interview.
He said work adjustments could mean 鈥渃ompressing鈥� the normally 48-hour (six days) workload into five days a week.
Recio said there was no need for the Dole to 鈥渁pprove or disapprove鈥� such, but companies must submit in writing their decision 鈥渇or information鈥� of the labor office.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 recommend to companies [to implement adjustments] but at this point, we defer to the [measures] set by [the Department of Health],鈥� he said.
No work, no pay
In Cavite province, where there are more factories but smaller in terms of production than those in Laguna, Joseph Gacosta, provincial labor chief, said 鈥渃ompressed work鈥� is being implemented in some, not necessarily because of the outbreak but due to low production this month.
Recio said adjusting work hours was still the better option than retrenchment.
In cases when companies need to 鈥渞educe鈥� the number of employees at a certain time due to importation restrictions, Recio said the management could ask employees to go on 鈥渇orced leave鈥� or use the time to hold employees鈥� training 鈥渟o [the workers] still get paid.鈥�
Normally, factories follow a 鈥渘o work, no pay鈥� policy for the rank-and-file. INQ