Authorities in Cebu have launched investigations into reports that business process outsourcing (BPO) firms forced employees to return to work despite unsafe conditions following the 6.9-magnitude earthquake that struck the province on September 30, leaving at least 72 people dead and hundreds injured.
Cebu Governor Pam Baricuatro has asked the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to investigate companies flagged for “questionable” safety practices, while Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival and Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña separately ordered their own probe, noting that most of the complaints involve BPO firms within the city.
The BPO Industry Employees’ Network (BIEN) had earlier filed a formal complaint with DOLE detailing workplace safety and labor rights violations.
BIEN-Cebu said it received more than a hundred complaints within two days of the quake, naming at least 30 call center firms as subjects of its complaint with DOLE Region 7.
“Majority of the BPO companies that we have seen are in Cebu City, and the city government is on top of this,” said Cebu provincial public information officer Ainjeliz Orong in an interview with ANC.
Orong added that DOLE has been formally asked to step in. Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma said a dialogue with affected workers and employers is set for Monday, October 6.
Workers’ complaints include being forced to return to their offices minutes after evacuating during aftershocks, threats of dismissal for refusing to work, sanctions such as loss of attendance bonuses, and even blocked emergency exits.
Others claimed they were marked absent or unpaid when they chose not to report for work, while some were allegedly offered double pay to continue working despite safety concerns.
Akbayan Rep. Perci Cendaña joined calls for accountability, urging the DOLE to enforce the Labor Code and the Occupational Safety and Health Standards law against erring companies.
“By law, workers have the right not to return to work when there is a fear for their safety and life,” he said.
The lawmaker also denounced the alleged practices as “gross insensitivity,” warning that companies must prioritize the safety of employees over profits in the wake of disasters.
