Labor  and Employment Secretary  Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz yesterday  said that the DOLE’s intensified information campaign for voluntary compliance with core labor standards, including the delivery of accurate information on the computation and payment of 13th month pay, could be  bearing fruit, as complaints to the DOLE Call Center  on the said statutory monetary benefit has dwindled to only 27 calls  for December 2013.

“In December 2013, the call center received  1,100 queries.  This includes 27 complaints on non-payment of  13th month pay, and 1,073 on the computation of  the said benefit,”  said Baldoz, citing a report from Director Nicon F. Fameronag of the Labor Communications Office  which supervises the DOLE Call Center.

Baldoz added that the 27 complaints received in December  2013 on the non-payment of 13th month pay is 66 percent lower than the complaints  received in  December 2012. The 1,073 queries received in December 2013, on the other hand, is 18 percent lower than  the 1,317 received on in the same period in 2012.

“The  dip in the number of 13th month pay queries to  the DOLE call center only shows that  DOLE’s early and consistent campaign urging companies to comply with core labor standards, including the 13th month pay on or before 24 December of each year is now bearing fruit.

Baldoz added that the  DOLE is continually  implementing a nationwide public information campaign urging employers to comply with core labor standards, reminding them of their obligation to pay the mandatory holiday pa, and other statutory benefits, during the  especially Christmas season.

According to  Fameronag’s report, the DOLE Call Center  also   responded to 5, 874 queries in December 2013.    About 75 percent,  or  4,398 of the said queries,  were on  DOLE services on social protection and welfare of workers, which include  services to safeguard fair and just terms of conditions of employment.

The total number of  calls  for December 2013 reached  5,102, calls or an average of 165 calls a day.

The DOLE Call Center hotline is 527-8000.

A great number of the queries numbering to 1, 153 calls.  centered on holiday pay rules for December 24, 25, 30, and  31.

The DOLE Call Center, known as SMILE for Serbisyong Magalang, Mahusay na Impormasyon sa Labor and Employment, is open Mondays to Saturdays from 6:00 A.M. to 10:00 P.M. It has a complement of 12 composite staff from different DOLE Offices.

The Call center also received and responded to calls focused on  Republic Act 10361, or the Kasambahay Law; employment facilitation;  Alien Employment Permit; working child permit; employment for person with disabilities; and other DOLE programs.

End/ Let Maring
With reports from Ma.Veronica R. Almazora