- Davao council seeks emergency aid measure for over 300 displaced Davao Mighty Steel workers
A LAWMAKER pushed for immediate assistance for the 300 displaced Davao Mighty Steel workers following a raid on the company’s plant in Barangay Ilang, Bunawan District last week.
In her privilege speech on Tuesday’s regular session, Aug. 18, Councilor Pamela Librado-Morata said their priority is not the conditions cited by authorities but the sudden loss of their livelihood.
The councilor met with the affected workers on Aug. 17, after more than 200 workers trooped to the council to air their concerns.
To note, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), assisted by the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute, the Philippine Air Force, the Philippine Coast Guard’s CBRN units and Special Operations Group, and the 10th Infantry Division, served search warrants on DMS last Aug. 13 over allegations that the firm was manufacturing and distributing substandard reinforcing steel bars.
The operation resulted in what authorities described as the “rescue” of 174 Filipino workers.
PAOCC executive director, Usec Benjamin Acorda Jr., said the workers were found in a hazardous environment containing radioactive materials, dust, fumes, wastes and production residues that posed risks of continued occupational exposure.
But Librado said the workers expressed fear rather than rescue, and questioned what kind of rescue leaves them without jobs or support.
“They demand that DMS or Davao Mighty Steel give their pending two weeks’ salary since after the raid, nobody from the management gave an advisory or official statement as to their salaries, the status of their employment and the next steps,” she said.
The City Social Welfare and Development Office profiled more than 200 workers; most were male residents of Davao City who had worked for the company for 3-1 years.
Librado also said the fallout has extended beyond DMS workers to junk shops and scrap dealers in the city who used to sell their scrap metal to the company.
She said the committee will hold a series of consultations and public hearings throughout August, in coordination with the CSWDO, the Department of Labor and Employment, and the Public Employment Service Office to address the workers’ situation in aid of legislation.
The councilor said displaced DMS employees are covered by the city’s existing Workers’ Protection and Development Ordinance (WPDO) despite having been hired through an agency, and are entitled to make their case without judgment or discrimination.
She added that workers should be protected from undue harm while the facts of the case are established through a fair, impartial, and transparent investigation.
The councilor said the committee is studying the creation of a Workers’ Emergency Lifeline Ordinance to give temporary assistance to workers who lose their jobs due to calamities, pandemics, enforcement actions, or other extraordinary events beyond their control.
“The proposed measure seeks to establish a temporary safety net for affected workers and their families during periods of crisis, helping them meet their basic needs while they recover from unforeseen livelihood disruptions,” she said.
“In the long-term, atong tumong ug tinguha nga makatrabaho balik ang kapin 300 ka workers sa Davao Mighty Steel,” she added.
The privilege speech was considered read under first reading and referred to the SP Committee on Labor and Employment Opportunities and the Committee on Civil, Political and Human Rights.
