DoLE sets labor inspection target at 55,000 firms

THE Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) said it plans to visit at least 55,000 establishments this year to conduct labor inspections.

“For this year, 55,000 (is our) initial target across industries,” DoLE Officer-In-Charge Undersecretary Benjo Santos M. Benavidez told BusinessWorld on Tuesday.

He added that this target was included in the department’s proposed budget for 2019. During the budget hearings last year, DoLE asked legislators for additional funding to pay for 2,000 more Labor Law Compliance Officers (LLCOs) to help inspect over 900,000 establishments nationwide.

DoLE only has about 500 LLCOs currently.

In 2018, the labor department inspected 134,263 establishments. Mr. Benavidez said with more hiring, the department can exceed the 2019 target for labor inspections.

“We will have additional 8,000 (inspection) if we hire additional LLCOs,” he said, adding that the department is looking to add at least 100 more to its current roster.

DoLE announced last year that it will submit a second list of establishments found to be violating labor rules on contracting practices. The focus of the inspections will be private hospitals, TV networks, and construction companies, though Mr. Benavidez said the focus areas will vary by region.

“Some regions don’t have many hospitals or manufacturing firms so instead, we will prioritize the agriculture sector,” he said.

In May, the labor department released a list of 3,377 firms suspected of being involved in illegal contractualization. —