DOLE to Strengthen Worker Protection Following Ride-Hailing Rider Slaying

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said Friday that it has taken measures to ensure stronger labor protection of platform workers in light of the fatal stabbing of a ride-hailing rider. DOLE met with representatives of digital platform companies on Thursday, July 16, to address concerns regarding the fair working arrangements as well as the safety and security of ride-hailing and food delivery riders. “If we extricate the contribution of the delivery riders, it would be smaller, but it has a more sustainable trajectory not just in Metro Manila, but all over,” Labor Secretary Francisco Tolentino said as quoted in the agency’s statement. “Now we have to adopt ILO (International Labor Organization) Convention No. 193 to comply with certain standards. It is not just the employee-employer relationship, not just the rights and obligations of both parties. It is about how to make the sector a vital cog of the Philippine economy,” he added. Adopted last month, Convention No. 193 is the first international labor standard dedicated specifically to the platform economy. The urgent need to pass Occupational Safety and Health measures was also highlighted during the dialogue, following the fatal stabbing of 35-year-old motorcycle taxi driver Ren Ren De Laviga in Cavite on July 6. READ: PNP to work with ride-hailing firms after motor rider stabbings De Laviga’s case was already referred to DOLE’s Employees’ Compensation Commission program for the appropriate assistance to the families, according to Tolentino. “Ensuring worker safety is a pressing priority requiring immediate action,” the labor chief stressed, further noting the importance of continued consultations with concerned agencies and stakeholders to address security issues in the working environment of platform workers. He also reiterated his directive to establish a 24/7 DOLE complaint unit to address concerns and ensure immediate assistance to distressed workers. On the part of platform companies, their representatives shared during the dialogue their best practices for advancing decent work, including fair compensation, safety, and data privacy, “while cautioning against a one-size-fits-all regulatory approach due to their diverse business models.” /jpv