Looking at the state of construction workers

CHEERS TO ABS-CBN News Channel’s (ANC) Dateline Philippines for looking into the plight of construction workers.

In an April 10 report, Dateline Philippines raised issues on the safety and income of construction workers. The report said the surge in construction in recent years is one of the key indicators of economic growth. The construction industry employs over two million Filipino workers, the report said. In the fourth quarter of 2014, a 20.5 percent construction growth rate was reported according to data from the National Statistical Coordinating Board.

The report asked if  growth in the construction industry trickles down to the daily wage earners.

Apolinar Tolentino Jr., regional representative of Building and Wood Workers International, said thousands of construction workers’ tenure depends on project span.

Marilyn Grafane of the National Union of Building and Construction Workers said “Karamihan sa mga manggagawang konstruksyon wala silang benepisyo. Hindi sila nakapasok sa SSS, sa PhilHealth kaya kapag sila ay nagkakasakit, wala lang. Kahit sila ay may sakit, napipilitan silang pumasok sa trabaho kasi nga magugutom ‘yung kanilang pamilya. (ANC translation: Most workers have no benefits. They are not enrolled in SSS [Social Security System] or PhilHealth. If they get sick, they get nothing. If they get sick, they are forced to work to feed their family.)”

She said construction workers earn around Php250.00 to 350.00 a day. According to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), the minimum wage in the National Capital Region is Php 481.00.

The report also raised safety concerns as recent incidents in construction sites have claimed the lives of a number of  workers.

Grafane said “Kadalasan, wala silang ginagamit na personal protective equipment. So kasi ‘yung ibang kumpanya sabi na ang kailangan sila ang bumili nito. So kung titingnan mo ‘yung safety shoes nagkakahalaga ‘yan ng (Php) 2000. So ‘yung mga gamit. . .hindi kaya ng kanilang sahod (ANC translation: Most of the time, they don’t have personal protective equipment. Some companies tell them to buy their own (safety equipment). Safety shoes cost P2000; it’s very expensive. Their salary can’t afford it).”

The report said that DOLE is planning to form a tripartite construction safety monitoring task force to “monitor cases of workplace safety violations.”