On proposed compressed work week
THE House of Representatives (HOR) on August 21, 2017 passed the House Bill 6152 (HB6152) or the Compressed Work Week (CWW). HB 6152 as HOR press release described seeks to institutionalize the compressed work week scheme to promote business competitiveness, work efficiency and labor productivity. It will allow 4-day12-hours work week, with corresponding overtime payment only if work exceeds 48 hours a week.
The Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR), strongly opposed the bill and calls on the Senate, particularly the Labor Committee, the workers and all labor rights advocates to reject HB 6152. HB 6152 is not only retrogressive, it is an openly and plainly pro-business and pro-capitalists as HOR statement clearly expressed, while silent about detrimental effects that extended hours have on worker’s health and well being.
HB 6152 is retrogressive because it backpedals the gain of workers struggle that catapulted the more than centuryold International Labor Standards and the Philippine law stipulating that eight (8) hours/day is the normal working hours. This victory was in recognition of the physical, emotional, mental, social and even economic pressure that human body can bear for a period of time, without destroying it. It was on recognition that workers are not slaves, that they are humans innate with dignity. These reasons were factored in deciding that optional corresponding overtime payment in excess of 8-hour work is paid higher than regular hour to compensate for the additional stress that it caused.
The workers minimum wages in the country are already way below the decent amount and HB 6152 will further cut on wages and income while increasing capital profits by saving on business costs. To illustrate, and assuming that companies in Metro Manila for example, pay their workers the minimum wage, a 4-day of 12- hour-work week will mean a lost of about Php1,227.42 equivalent to a 16-hour-overtime (OT) pay per week as the 4-hour supposedly OT/day will be treated as a regular hour. This is a big reduction from the worker’s income that will throw more workers into poverty and precariousness.
While a 48-hour or 72-hour rest day a week, sounds enticing and considerate under HB 6152, it is also deceptive as it completely ignored the fact that workers and their families have to eat and to support household expenses, even on rest days and income reduction will negatively impact on family basic needs. Hungry families cannot enjoy a 3-day rest. Thus, this will compel the workers to look for whatever additional sources of income, they can get, making them more vulnerable to the vagaries of the labor market. In addition, this will further increase the competition amongst workers who faces the risks of being underemployed or informally employed while providing ample window for capitalists to `manage’ the workforce pushed to choose between temporary jobs with even lower wages or nothing.