Increase in hazard pay of sanitation workers recommended

SANITATION workers in the Baguio City should have higher hazard pays considering the nature of their work.

This was one of the recommendations made by the City Council research division under local legislative staff officer V Dan Ricky Ong in a report submitted to Vice Mayor Edison Bilog last May 11.

The report was based on the legislative monitoring and evaluation done on Resolution No. 248 series of 2016 “Enjoining the City General Services Office to equip the garbage collecting personnel with appropriate protective gears such as face masks, hand gloves, boots and the like for (their) regular waste collection and disposal function in the course of their day-today operations.”

In the report, local legislative staff officer I Michelle Dulay said the grant of or increase in the hazard pay for all field workers who include garbage collectors, street sweepers and gardeners were among the suggestions made by City Environment and Parks Management Office (CEPMO) employees Elizabeth Licuben and Richard Aloot in consideration of the kind of work the said employees are discharging.

A check with the City Accounting Office showed that the garbage collectors are receiving P600 a month for their hazard pay.

The employees said an increase is in order considering that these workers are exposed to elements and health and safety hazards daily.

Dulay said that based on their general findings, Resolution 248-16 is being implemented as to the provision of protective gears to the waste collectors.

However Dulay said that the GSO should make sure that the gears are complete, supplied on time and are of good quality particularly the gloves and face masks.

The workers should also be supplied with first aid kits in case of emergency, alcohol, hand sanitizers and similar provisions.

GSO officer-incharge Eugene Buyucan said the budget for the purchase of these paraphernalia is regularly included in their office’s annual budget.

He said however that they cannot provide said amenities to volunteer garbage collectors in the barangays as per Commission on Audit (COA) rules.