Employers, labor unions asked to provide aid to Covid-19 affected workers

CLARK FREEPORT-The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board Central Luzon has encouraged employers and labor unions to continue extending assistance to workers affected by the COVID-19 pandemi c.

DOLERegional Director Ma. Zenaida Campita, chairperson of RTWPB Central Luzon, said it is good to see employers and labor organizations doing their share in this time of pandemic.

“We seek to solicit continuous assistance on what and how they can help during the pandemic," Campita said.

Campita added that employers and labor organizations may continue to negotiate voluntarily for provision of temporary shelter or shuttle service of employees and continue observing health and safety protocols. While companies incur expenses for buying PPEs, reconfiguring workplaces and observing safety protocols, Campita said labor unions may also extend financial assistance or any kind of program to employees affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Earlier, the Wage Board passed Resolution No. 4, Series of 2020, recognizing the initiatives of employers and labor unions in extending assistance to employees affected by the pandemic.

The Wage Board specifically supports and proposes the following initiatives for employers and labor organizations to ensure the health and safety of employees by complying with the health and safety protocols set by the Department of Health, Department of Trade and Industry, and Department of Labor and Employment; negotiate and cooperate voluntarily for reasonable, acceptable and better terms and conditions of employment during the COVID-19 pandemic; assist affected employees in filing for social welfare and livelihood benefits before any appropriate

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO— The Province of Bataan now has a total of 1, 262 confirmed corona virus cases as of September 7 placing third among the provinces with the most number of infections.

The Provincial Government of Bataan reports that of the 1, 262 cases, some 590 are still active. Some 652 have already recovered while 20 people have already died of the virus in the whole province. The province have conducted at least 15, 503 tests.

At least 47 of the confirmed cases in the province are close contacts of earlier confirmed cases. Meanwhile some 36 confirmed cases were in-patients of different hospitals in Bataan. Some eight confirmed cases are frontline workers. Other confirmed cases are people with travel history.

Bataan’s confirmed cases is not far behind Pampanga province’s 1,464 cases. Bulacan province has the most number of cases at 3, 577 according to a September 8 report of the Department of Health in Region 3.