THE chairman of the House Committee on Labor and Employment vows to come up with and pass a measure that would protect and uphold the welfare of 17 million “informal workers.”
Rizal 4th District Rep. Juan Fidel Felipe F. Nograles said last Sunday that his committee has started last week its deliberations on 11 separate bills proposing the Magna Carta of Workers in the Informal Economy (Macwie).
“We see the need for the Magna Carta for informal workers, who are growing in number as a result of the pandemic,” added Nograles.
The Macwie covers various issues such as basic labor rights, proper working conditions and benefits, access to resources like credit facilities and capacity-building trainings, and decent wages, among others.
Data from the Department of Labor and Employment shows that 36.2 percent of the total 47 million employed Filipinos, or 17 million workers, are from the informal sector.
These include self-employed workers such as ambulant vendors, small transport workers, construction workers, unpaid family members who assist in micro businesses of their families, and farmers.
Nograles said that since there is still no law that recognizes their rights, many informal workers fall prey to violence and abuse in their workplaces.
“Since they do not have formal documents to prove that they are employees, informal workers do not receive any benefits, and it is also difficult for them to ask for help from the government if they are abused,” said the lawmaker.