Labor partylist calls on DOLE to censure ECOP on EML

The labor partylist Partido Manggagawa asked Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello to reprimand the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) for its statement that companies will discriminate against women workers because of the added costs of expanded maternity leave benefit. “ECOP’s statement is not just a grave threat but an expression of criminal intent. The Expanded Maternity Leave Law explicit prohibits employers from discriminating against female workers,” asserted Judy Ann Miranda, PM partylist secretary-general.

The group reminded employers that violation of the EML Law under section 18 carries a penalty of 20,000 pesos to 200,000 pesos; or imprisonment from six years to 12 years; or both.

Miranda added that ECOP’s release of the survey is a calculated move to influence the drafting of the implementing rules and regulations of the EML law. “ECOP will no doubt lobby for exemptions and deferments similar to that in the wage orders of regional wage boards,” she predicted.

Miranda insisted that “Granting for the sake of argument that EML will entail additional costs for employers, still women workers have earned a right to this benefit as companies have been monopolizing the productivity gains for almost two decades. From 2001 to 2016, labor productivity has increased by 50% but real wages have stagnated.”

She averred that “But in truth, added maternity benefits will hardly make a dent in employers’ profits as it is the SSS that pays women workers for the bulk of the maternity pay. In 2016, just around only 250,000 or less than one percent of all women of reproductive age claimed maternity benefits with the SSS. There was a slight increase in 2017 with approximately 290,000 women applying for maternity benefits. The total costs of maternity leave paid by the SSS in 2016 and 2017 is less than 6 billion pesos annually.”

“PM partylist and other labor and women groups remain vigilant in ensuring that the victory of EML will not be watered down by greedy employers,” Miranda ended.

March 20, 2019

Kababaihang manggagawa ikinatuwa ang pagkakasabatas ng Expanded Maternity Leave

Ikinatuwa ng mga manggagawa ang pagiging batas ng Expanded Maternity Leave na nagtatakda ng 105 araw ng paid maternity leave benefits mula sa dating 60 o katumbas ng karagdagang 45 na araw. 

“Pinaghirapan itong itulak ng kababaihan, lalo ng kababaihang manggagawa kaya’t nararapat lamang angkinin ng kababaihan, kasama ang mga champions nito sa Kongreso at Senado, ang tagumpay ng labang ito,” pahayag ni Judy Ann Miranda ng Partido Manggagawa partylist (PM) na kasapi ng koalisyong Workers4EML. 

She added that "The lapse into law of the Expanded Maternity Leave is a hard-won victory for women workers. President Duterte could not muster the courage to sign it into law and it took fast and furious action from women workers and their champions in Congress to thwart the determined lobby of ECOP and the SSS for a veto. Now that the 105-day maternity leave benefit is a law, opportunists may want to claim it for themselves but it was the years-long advocacy and campaign of organized women and labor groups that gave birth to EML."  

Naging batas ang nasabing panukala matapos hindi i-veto ng Pangulo at mag-lapse into law kagabi sa kabila ng malakas na lobby laban dito ng mga employer at mismong ng SSS. 

“Kung hindi sa walang tigil na pagkilos, presyur at paglalamay ng kababaihang manggagawa at maralita sa pagtutulak ng batas na ito ay malamang nag-dalawang isip ang Palasyo na hayaang ito ay maging batas,” paliwanag pa ni Miranda. 

Bagamat naging batas na ay sinabi pa rin ng PM na maari pa itong paunlarin ng husto sa mga susunod na yugto ng laban at nang makahabol pa sa mas mataas na standard ng maternity benefits na umiiral na sa maraming bansa. ###

Photos of vigil last night at https://www.facebook.com/judy.chanmiranda/posts/10219174819950136?__xts__[0]=68.ARBtPdHXRsBRlsLcpzDGU_MBrLZ8wt3_vheskV62BelCFXWafpvAD81OpSs9Crc08nUC8qG99Gr6Ji7nssj-6qXhTqkfxijSFfRQFiJc2eziNe3F6js0PhY9kOVpcqoBIjHEwcdPgsNoXDCpjdgCjWDzSl0gHBo_iDK9ABCRqeZbJ5vhkCcK54tJoOz4WjAQemscKyC4mqLxEpSBxUSM21yoi9QNoeXAY_lfdTabYWnmyxBFgZLN9iFolaopL5grQ6O6BZmW45oYJ2K31614eK9qO-PGKDj0iWcaWAHfaaP_YGoJ5YoJFQRLFsftaK1FLmXiot7WcIxA6puHTyWD&__tn__=C-R

and 

Photos of Workers4EML action the other day at https://www.facebook.com/judy.chanmiranda/posts/10219162472841466?__xts__[0]=68.ARBXOd_Ezg_YUpZYLu7tWgpeRU2fuhPNAU8-OBAVI8iEEm8tY86kz4iyUJYj0WRi9v_mL0u_wBk6zf7cLuuXD_U33DLlDhd5pW8_MVLoz9EWIE5RBDjIDmRKHRnXGOfgva1FbWP1TpLt6M2vvobtbg5Bym0j6RCeUsF1ygtEqDK0utlqUDWEdP-GumAC_HfgVBYhat7a560zsbPU7SeoqqwEz7g9uh88pt2Ee3-SVoQQ7T8nRxMlrX8AseUtaeDbk9wzr_4wfBmgG3qivouPZkDp1Wep7ktfbwU-jZLKkdFE3M9M3fDhAchei3oti5x1dlZ2nDlyrUEradmUvXZl&__tn__=C-R

21 February 2019
Partido Manggagawa partylist

Women workers slam Sara Duterte for proposing watered down EML

Women workers led by the labor partylist group Partido Manggagawa (PM) slammed Davao City mayor Sara Duterte for proposing a watered down version of the Expanded Maternity Leave (EML) Law. Tonight—the eve of EML lapsing into law—the coalition Workers4EML is holding a candlelight vigil at Mendiola.

“We are lighting 105 candles so that President Rodrigo Duterte will be enlightened into signing the law that will benefit tremendously women workers and ensure the health of newborn babies. If he cannot muster the courage to sign it into law, the very least he could do is let it lapse into law. We warn the President against vetoing the law as demanded by the employers group ECOP,” asserted Judy Ann Miranda, PM secretary-general.

She added that “Sara should be advised of the basics of law making. EML cannot be watered down anymore since it has been passed by Congress. The President can only sign it in toto, veto it or let it lapse into law. So Sara’s call for halving the salary of pregnant workers on leave, or worse giving them only a quarter of their pay, is not only detrimental to women but downright prohibited.”

Workers4EML which includes the labor groups PM, PSLINK, Sentro, TUCP and IndustriAll have been crucial in advocating and lobbying for the expanded maternity law. Yesterday women under the banner of Workers4EML held a noisy but colorful action at Welcome Rotonda.

“Push na natin ito mga kabaro at ka-manggagawa. Do not let the enemies of labor steal the victory that women workers have fought for,” Miranda averred.

She added that “Sara’s argument that it is necessary to water down EML in consideration of small businesses is nonsense. It is the Social Security System (SSS) which will pay the salary of pregnant workers on leave as long as it is not above the salary credit of P16,000. Sara conveniently remembers that the bulk of businesses are small but hypocritically forgets that majority of workers are minimum wage earners with salaries below P16,000. With the signing by Duterte of the law mandating an increase in SSS contributions, the workers’ pensions system is in no danger of going under.”

February 20, 2019

Partido Manggagawa partylist

Partido Manggagawa welcomes bicam approval of expanded maternity leave

The Partido Manggagawa (PM) welcomes the approval of the proposed Expanded Maternity Leave (EML) law by Congress’ bicameral conference committee. 

“It’s really the fruit of collective efforts. It became possible when women workers, trade unions and allies in Congress work hand in hand and doing campaigns in many forms just to make things done for the sake of women, their children and their families,” declared PM Secretary General Judy Miranda.   

Partido Manggagawa is part of Workers for EML (W4EML), a coalition of women groups in the trade union movement which pushed for the passage of EML in both houses of Congress.   

Once signed into law by the President, the current 60-day maternity leave benefits will be increased to 105 days. This is one week (7 days) higher than the ILO standard of 98 but it falls short of the 120 days approved by the Senate. 

The leave benefit is transferable. It also increases the paternity leave by 100% and gives additional 15 days for solo parent.  It likewise provides for benefit is 60-day leave benefits for cases of miscarriage or termination of pregnancy. 

The final version also mandates employers to cover the salary differential from the P16,000 maximum cap approved by SSS. It also removed the current limit of four pregnancies, adopting in effect the concept of freedom of choice in every instance of pregnancy. ###

Women workers welcome EML's passage in the House

The Partido Manggagawa (PM) welcomes the passage of HB 4113 or the Expanded Maternity bill that entitles working women to a 100-day paid maternity leave.

The House version is 20 days shorter than the 120-day provision passed by the Senate last year. Thus women groups are still hopeful that the small gap can still be worked out in the bicameral conference committee.

"We commend the sponsors of the bill for the hard work spent in ensuring that this bill reaches this stage. And of course to the chairperson of the women committee, Rep. Bernadette Herrera (PL BH), for steering this measure into its final enactment," said PM Secretary General Judy Ann Miranda.

Miranda said the HOR version is just above the 98-day maternity leave recommended by the International Labor Organization (ILO) but far lower than the levels in ASEAN.

She added that "We know it can still be worked out in the bicam level. The longer the maternity leave, the better for mothers, their children, and their family members.”

Miranda noted that LPGMA partylist Rep. Arnel Ty tried to derail the passage of the EML during the debates by taking the position of employers who are all opposed to the bill.

"We were aware of Rep. Ty's position as he truly represented the interests of business in Congress. It is this kind of representation that defined his opposition to EML. He, of course, cannot stand as a businessman and a worker at the same time. This measure is for workers, especially women," concluded Miranda.

4 September 2018