Factory workers, like these ones working for Yuenthai Philippines Inc., the maker of Adidas apparel, which has set up a factory inside the Mactan Export Processing Zone 1, will have to work longer hours within a four-day work week if HB 6152 becomes a law. (CDN FILE PHOTO)
Business, labor and government officials in Cebu yesterday have opposed the measure approved on third and final reading by the House of Representatives that seeks to allow a four-day workweek by increasing the normal daily work hours.
Under House Bill (HB) 6152, companies may reduce the number of workdays by increasing the usual eight-hour workday to a 10- or 12-hour workday.
“These arrangements give employers and employees flexibility in fixing hours of work compatible with business requirements and the employees’ need for a balanced work-life,” said Baguio City Rep. Mark Go, one of the authors of the bill.
Under the Labor Code, employees are required to work for 40 to 48 hours a week for five to six days.
The bill, which amends Article 83, 87 and 91 of the Labor Code, aims to promote business competitiveness, work efficiency and labor productivity.
HB 6152, or “An Act Increasing the Normal Work Hours Per Day Under a Compressed Work Week Scheme,” was passed with 226 affirmative votes, with no dissensions or abstentions.
If the bill becomes enacted, employers would be allowed to exceed the eight-hour daily normal working hours by adopting a scheme reducing the number of working days in a week. Normal working hours would still have a limit of 48 hours a week, but employers could not to spread them out over six days.
But business and labor leaders in Cebu said longer daily working hours, even if they are only for four days a week, actually have a negative effect on the workers’ productivity.
The Gabriela Women’s Party, in a statement on Sunday, also said the compressed workweek scheme would reverse the labor movement’s historic victory for an eight-hour work schedule.
No consultations, public hearings
Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) President Glenn Anthony Soco said asking workers to work from 10 to 12 hours a day, as proposed in HB 6152, instead of the usual eight hours will affect the productivity and efficiency of the workers and thus affect businesses.
Soco also pointed out that eight hours a day for five days a week is the acceptable work standard anywhere in the world.
He likewise warned that imposing longer working hours might affect the relationship of local businesses with their clients from other parts of the world who implement a five-day workweek schedule.
Soco also clarified that while workers have the option to render overtime, depending on the needs of the company, it is usually a choice or only when called upon to do so by their company.
At the same time, workers can also file leaves of absence under the mandatory-leave benefits of workers provided under the Labor Code.
“Our present labor laws, which is recognized in the world as one of the best, is actually doable already for both business and labor, he added partly in Cebuano.
Soco said he couldn’t understand why the Lower House decided to change the current working hours, and approved HB 6152 without consultations with stakeholders and public hearings.
Soco urged lawmakers to review and reconsider their decision and conduct more consultations, especially with the country’s business sector.
He said MCCI is also planning to submit a manifestation opposing the bill.
Labor leader Joe Tomongha of the Alliance of Progressive Labor (APL) also opposed HB 6152, saying requiring workers to work for 10 to 12 hours a day would have adverse effects on the quality of their work.
Even if workers would be given three rest days in a week, the fatigue and stress resulting from longer workdays will have a negative effect on their health, which means they would be too tired to spend more time with their families.
Bad for business, public service
Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza also asked legislators to reconsider HB 6152, saying it would have a big impact on production companies that require longer working days to meet their production schedules, such as those operating inside the Mactan Export Processing Zone (Mepz) hosted by Lapu-Lapu City.
Radaza also raised concern that imposing a four-day workweek among government workers would result in longer periods in transacting business with government offices or agencies, and thus cause more frustration with the public already fed up with government red tape.
She said she was worried that if the Lapu-Lapu City Hall will be required to stay open for only four days a week, for example, they would end up facing an irate public “because people really needs the services of the government each day and (we might not be able to) avoid long queues in a limited days of work.”
On the other hand, she said, a longer weekend might be good for the tourism industry and might help decongest traffic in highly urbanized areas.
At least three other local officials — Cebu City Councilor Sisinio Andales and Cebu Provincial Board Members Celestino Martinez III and Sun Shimura — also found a four-day workweek counterproductive and unfair to both government and private sector employees.
“Although they have longer rest days, but it’s not easy to go home at 7 p.m. or 8 p.m. instead of 5 p.m. especially if you don’t have your own car and you have to take public transportation,” said Andales, who heads the Cebu City Council’s committee on labor and employment.
Martinez, on the other hand, said HB 6152 requires further study.
“The main issue for me is efficiency and the quality of the work required, given the enormous workload that might tasked on an individual to accomplish in a day’s time,” he said in a text message.
He noted that asking employees to extend their daily work hours to 10–12 hours could be too stressful to employees who have to make sure that they would remain focused on their work for that number of hours.
Shimura added longer work hours is unhealthy: “Dili kaayo siya maayo (It’s really not good). Mosamot ang atong (It will only increase) rate (of) diseases like heart failure. Of course longer hours of work will also affect the health of our constituents,” he said in a phone interview.
“I am confused how can a person be productive in working longer hours,” he added.
HB 6152 was introduced by Reps. Mark Go, Deogracias Victor Savellano, Eleanor Bulut-Begtang, Ma. Lourdes Agabao, Jesus Celeste, Christopher de Venecia, Rodolfo Fariñas, Ronald Cosalan, Napoleon Dy, Leopoldo Bataoil, Strike Revilla, Marlyn Primicias-Agabas, Luisa Lloren Cuaresma, Micaela Violago, Randolph Ting, Ariel Casilao, Teodoro Montoro, Leo Rafael Cueva, Edwin Ong, Vicente Veloso, Edcel Lagman, Peter Unabia, Yedda Marie Romualdez, Vilma Santos-Recto and Julieta Cortuna.
Go explained in a statement: “These arrangements give employers and employees flexibility in fixing hours of work compatible with business requirements and the employees’ need for a balanced work-life.”
Bad for workers too
But Gabriela Rep. Emmi de Jesus, a former labor organizer, said the scheme would result in “longer hours of work per day, increase incidence of Endo or contractualization, and will have downward implications on workers’ take-home pay.”
De Jesus feared this would allow companies to ease out regular workers in the informal economy by introducing more non-regular workers to take over the freed-up working days.
“This will mean drastically shifting work schedules for workers as companies try to shuffle in more contractual workers into the production cycle. In fact, this is already being done in many manufacturing firms in economic zones,” she said.
De Jesus also disputed the argument that the scheme would help workers save in terms of transportation expenses, saying it would be “overcome by the general reduction in wages, allowances and benefits.” She also raised possible negative effects of a longer workday on workers’ health.
“But companies right now are far from the red zone and are reaping the gains of increased productivity despite stagnant wages. Why pursue a measure that is not applicable anymore and that which will only result in increased labor exploitation?” De Jesus ended. /WITH REPORTER JOSE SANTINO S. BUNACHITA AND CORRESPONDENT JESSA MAE O. SOTTO