Labor rights hiniling isama sa curriculum ng SHS

Upang protektahan ang karapatan ng mga fresh graduate laban sa posibleng pang-aabuso ng kanilang mga employer, hinikayat ng isang activist youth group ang Department of Education (DepEd) na ibilang ang labor rights sa curriculum ng senior high school students (SHS) – lalo na sa mga kumuha ng kursong technicalvocational-livelihood (TVL).

Ayon sa Samahan ng Progresibong Kabataan (SPARK), isang national organization ng mga batang studentleader sa University of the Philippines – Diliman, dapat malaman ng mga nagsipagtapos ng SHS program na nasa ilalim ng K to 12, na nagbabalak nang magtrabaho, ang kanilang mga karapatan bilang manggagawa.

Sinalubong ng bansa ang unang first batch ng SHS graduate sa katapusan ng school year (SY) 20172018. Inihayag ng SPARK na dapat na maturuan ang SHS graduate “of their labor rights as the DepEd officials repeatedly claim that the graduates of the pilot program K to 12 are ready to enter the labor force.”

“It has always been the mantra of the government that K to program shall produce labor force-ready graduates,” lahad ng Spark sa isang pahayag. “If indeed true, then it is only logical for them to be aware and educated of their rights,” dagdag pa ng grupo.

Isiniwalat ng SPARK na simula nang ipinatupad ang K to 12 Program, ang mga opisyal ng DepEd “have been using the ‘work-ready’ tagline to influence the students and the general public on the supposed benefits of the program.” Gayunman, pinaghihimutok nito na hindi prayoridad sa curriculum ang karapatan ng mga manggagawa.

“The inclusion of a special subject on labor rights should be a necessity if the aim of the K to 12 program is to better prepare them for employment,” paliwanag ng SPARK. “Labor rights must be included in core curriculum subject of the senior high schools since wage employment is an option every graduate may choose upon graduation, not only those in the techvoc track,” ayon pa sa grupo.

Gayundin, nagpanukala ang SPARK ng “additional subject [that] should include discussions on salaries and wages, employment policies, state- sanctioned benefits and other political rights in the workplace.” Ang espesyal na subject na tatalakay sa labor rights, anang grupo, ay dapat ding biyang pansin “[on] how to go about with grievances procedures in a private company and government agencies” gaya ng Labor department, Social Security System (SSS), PhilHealth, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), at iba pa.

Ang espesyal na subject hinggil sa labor rights, ayon sa SPARK, “will also ensure that graduates will not fall victim to abusive employers, or worse, parasitic manpower agencies, now that tripartite work agreements have been legalized under Department Order 174 of the Labor department.”