RCMB-VI Director Francis A. Gonzalo, Jr. delivers the welcome remarks during the area-wide enhancement activity for companies in Negros Occidental, held on May 22, 2025, at the Sugar Workers Development Center (SWDC), DOLE-NOFO, Bacolod City.

Bacolod City, Negros Occidental – A learning session entitled “Understanding Workplace Relations: Rights, Duties and Due Process” was organized by the Regional Conciliation and Mediation Branch-VI (RCMB-VI) on May 22, 2025. It was attended by a total of 45 representatives from both organized and unorganized companies across Negros Occidental, and was held at the Sugar Workers Development Center (SWDC) within the DOLE Negros Occidental Field Office on Cottage Road, Bacolod City.

The initiative aimed to enhance the understanding of both workers and employers on key labor topics, including labor standards, occupational safety and health compliance, and post-employment processes.

Ms. Gretchen Pasiolan of the DOLE-Negros Occidental Field Office led the discussion on labor standards, underscoring the minimum requirements set by existing laws, rules, and regulations regarding wages, working hours, allowances, and other monetary and welfare benefits. She also discussed provisions on the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) framework, as mandated by the Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act No. 11058, also known as the OSH Standards Law, highlighting employers’ responsibilities in ensuring a safe and healthy work environment.

“Common compliance gaps include the absence of trained first aiders and safety officers, lack of fire safety inspection certificates, unregistered establishments, failure to submit required reports, and insufficient training on health and safety,” Pasiolan shared with the participants. She also emphasized that addressing these deficiencies and strictly adhering to OSH standards play a critical role in minimizing workplace accidents, injuries, illnesses, and fatalities, ultimately promoting a safer and healthier work environment for all.

Company representatives from across Negros Occidental during the RCMB-VI learning session titled “Understanding Workplace Relations: Rights, Duties, and Due Process.”

Participants were also oriented on the roles and responsibilities of OSH personnel, including strategies for addressing emerging work arrangements, recognizing equivalencies in OSH training and personnel designations, and understanding the penalties associated with willful violations of OSH standards.

Meanwhile, Atty. Joseph Brian Perez of the National Congress of Unions in the Sugar Industry of the Philippines (NACUSIP)/Philippine Agricultural, Commercial, and Industrial Workers Union (PACIWU)/Congress of Independent Organization (CIO) delivered a comprehensive discussion on Post-Employment and Termination of Employment, as outlined in Book VI of the Renumbered Labor Code of the Philippines. He elaborated on the dynamics of the employee-employer relationships as well as the legal grounds and due processes governing termination.

The activity reinforces RCMB-VI’s commitment to promoting industrial peace and strengthening labor-management relations. By equipping both employers and workers with up-to-date knowledge of labor laws, standards, and best practices, the initiative supports the creation of more compliant, equitable, and safe workplaces across the region.

Labor-Management Cooperation remains one of NCMB’s flagship programs, aimed at fostering a workplace culture of open communication, mutual respect, and collaborative problem-solving.  Through LMC committees or councils composed of representatives from both labor and management, the program encourages joint efforts in resolving workplace issues and sustaining harmonious relations.end/mdga  as edited