(POLITIKO) Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada has filed a bill seeking to criminalize the interference and harassment of labor unions and their members by employers and government authority.
Estrada said despite constitutional protections allowing workers to form unions, many still face coercion and intimidation, which undermines their rights.
“These actions ultimately seek to suppress the voice of the labor force,” he pointed out.
Senate Bill No. 2735, the proposed “Strengthening the Freedom of Association of Workers’ Act,” seeks to fill gaps in the Labor Code and enforce the constitutional right to self-organization.
“Any person who restrains, harasses, coerces, or unduly interferes with any worker or workers’ association or union, in the exercise of their rights to self-organization or in any manner commits any violation of Sections 5 and 6 of this Act shall, upon conviction, be punished by a fine of not less than P100,000 or imprisonment of not less than one year but not more than two years, or both, at the discretion of the Court,” Estrada proposed.
The bill also prohibits collecting or using personal data of workers, labor organizers, workers’ organizations, or union officials such as name, home address, and contact details which can be used for harassment and profiling.