KALIBO, Aklan, — The province of Aklan has a peaceful labor climate, according to the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) here.
This is evident with the decline in the number of filed cases by Aklan workers against their employers for the period January to April of this year which only reached 36, compared to the number of cases filed last year for the same period which reached 40-50 cases, according to Labor Arbitration Associate Virgilio Bautista.
Bautista also said employers in Aklan are now more aware of labor laws and the rights of workers, so they are very careful in dismissing their employees.
There are instances, according to Bautista, when wrongdoings by workers only deserve reprimand or suspension and not dismissal.
“When an employer dismisses a worker, this will entail unease and hardships on both parties. A worker will have no source of income, so he and his family will suffer. When he wins the case, his employer will suffer financially because he or she will pay a big amount constituting moral and actual damages and back wages,” Bautista said.
Bautista said the information activities conducted by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in the province especially in Boracay Island was also a big factor in the compliance of employers to various labor standards and provision of employees’ benefits.
The NLRC is also strict in enforcing labor decisions which had been observed by employers in Boracay which make them careful and compliant.
Presently, DOLE and the NLRC here are awaiting the latest wage board decision seen to increase the daily wage of workers not only in Aklan but in the whole of Western Visayas.
Bautista assured that wage board hearings will be conducted in all provinces of Western Visayas, including Boracay Island, because it has the biggest bulk of workers in the province.
The NLRC shared that currently, the minimum wage for establishments with less than 11 employees is P223.00, while those with more than 11 get P265.00 per day.(PIA)/TE
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